Chapter 173: The Rebellious Phase
Upon learning of the final outco, those within the grand hall seed to have grown even more silent than before.
If the story's ending had been General Vladimir's final sacrifice preserving everyone's lives—
That would have been a tale worthy of reverence, a tale of stirring heroism.
But... Erika du Chloe?
Why had she been able to stop a monster like that?
The truth ignited a fla of bewildernt in the ministers' hearts, leaving them struggling to comprehend.
Yet regardless of the truth, one thing was certain: Erika's disappearance had beco an undeniable fact nailed firmly in place.
No one knew her current condition.
Whether she lived or died remained unknown.
Silence once again beca the defining tone of the Morning Court session. The Emperor slowly raised his head, his expression unreadable, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"What is General Vladimir's condition?"
"Your Majesty... the General sustained grave injuries, but his life is not in danger."
The Emperor nodded, his voice unhurried and detached.
"The North is presently secure. Send soone to summon him back to the Royal Capital."
"This old general must also have reached the ti when he ought to rest."
With that, he rose from his throne of his own accord.
Hands clasped behind his back, he descended from the imperial seat and began to pace with slow, asured steps.
The ministers instantly froze in place, not daring to make a single sound, and could only stare blankly at that Emperor who now appeared frail with the weight of old age.
Then, without warning, Aubrey's low, hoarse voice rang out:
"What is that creature called, and what are its distinguishing features?"
The ministers all startled.
The reporting Knight hastily delivered his account:
"It... was enormous in size, yet serpentine in form. It required no wings, yet it could fly through the air. Those eyes—far more terrifying than any dragon's."
"Therefore... the conclusion reached by the Pallid Mage Society is... a dragon."
"Oh, a dragon."
The Emperor let out a soft laugh and nodded with a smile.
He wandered on his own out to the palace's exterior, where sunlight filtered down through the clean, thin veil of clouds and fell across his body.
Aubrey slowly tilted his head back, gazing up at the clear blue sky, taking in the warmth of the sun.
"Send word out—find its location."
"As long as it appears within the Empire's borders, co and notify at once."
In that instant, the Vital Energy within the Emperor began to surge and churn.
From his silhouetted back, the ministers seed to catch a glimpse of sothing.
That phantom flickered without cease, and at last, the form of the red lion manifested itself once more.
The red lion grew ever larger by degrees, and in the end, it settled beside Aubrey, radiating an incomparable, crushing sense of dominance.
The Emperor narrowed his eyes, tilted his head back, and gazed at the distant clouds on the horizon.
Livi.
Just what exactly did you leave behind, all for the sake of your daughter.
***
In the Empire's south, at the Magical Creature Rift.
Yellow sands swirled and billowed. A blazing sun hung in a cloudless sky.
A warm breeze lifted a scattering of dust from the earth, and the very air trembled faintly.
Along the surrounding streets, countless people had gathered.
Warriors with longswords at their hips; male and female Mages robed in every color, clutching various magical instrunts; and muscle-bound n wielding great axes.
Different Classes all—yet they shared one common na.
Adventurers.
And here stood the largest Magical Creature Rift within the Empire's borders.
This was the place known as a paradise where danger and opportunity coexisted.
The Adventurers' Capital—Godinlima.
Yet at this mont, that city—never a quiet place on its best days—had received a new batch of uninvited guests.
As though by unspoken agreent, the Adventurers collectively stepped aside to clear a path through the street for that procession.
Along the road, several hundred Demi-humans marched forward.
Their ears—feline and canine alike—twitched above their heads as they moved in disciplined formation, clad in bone-and-iron armor.
They were clearly Demi-humans, yet the formidable pressure radiating from their bodies kept even these fearless Adventurers from daring to step forward.
This was unmistakably a well-trained unit.
And at the front of this unit stood the one who led them.
A Knight.
She wore long, silver-white hair that flowed freely behind her, a cool arrogance glinting in the corners of her eyes.
Draped across her body was a suit of silver armor threaded through with flowing golden light, emanating a tangible, crushing aura.
Anyone could see at a glance that the Knight's equipnt was of far superior quality—armor well beyond ordinary grade.
The Adventurers' eyes went wide.
"Who... in the world does that unit belong to?"
Soone murmured in a daze, and then, as though catching a glimpse of a familiar face, they couldn't help but widen their eyes and peer more carefully into the procession.
"Hey, everyone, look at that woman."
"The Blade Assassin—Elsa?"
Amid the Demi-human ranks, a single human walked among them, standing out conspicuously.
Elsa's eyes were vacant, her expression betraying neither happiness nor sorrow.
The distinctive great blade that had once hung at her hip was gone entirely, replaced by the sa weapon carried by the surrounding Demi-humans.
"I heard her unit had already disbanded long ago, and she'd gone with Cindy to serve the Rether Family—so why is she back here...?"
"Not really sure... wait, sothing seems off."
Behind the Demi-humans, a mass of white cloud drifted slowly forward, drawing the gazes of every watching Adventurer toward it.
"Hss... an Elf!"
The mont they made out the creature resting atop that cloud, every Adventurer in the vicinity froze in stunned disbelief.
Demi-humans appearing here was one thing—after all, even in the Adventurers' Capital, there was no shortage of Demi-human slaves.
And if anything, the Demi-human slaves here were likely in an even more chaotic state than in any prosperous city.
But what was this Elf doing here?
Though this Elf... did give off the impression of being sowhat easy to push around.
She lay there in a languid half-recline atop her pristine white cloud, perpetually looking half-asleep.
Trailing behind the Demi-human unit as though she had absolutely nothing to do with them.
She even made the onlookers forget to wonder what exactly that cloud floating in the air was supposed to be.
Then, without warning, the Demi-humans arrived at an open clearing at the center of the street.
They halted. Planting their feet in place, they raised one hand to their chest and bowed slightly forward.
As though welcoming soone.
Right there, under the watchful gaze of every surrounding Adventurer.
Suddenly, dark markings flashed across the ground in sweeping lines, cutting through the crowd and converging before the Demi-human unit.
A pitch-black Magic Formation assembled itself from nothing atop the earth, a six-pointed star rising slowly from its dark outline.
A pair of enormous black wings materialized above the formation and snapped open with force.
Countless black feathers spiraled endlessly through the air beneath the sky, drifting lazily downward toward the ground.
The wings folded inward, shedding every feather in their wake as they dissolved.
In the cascading baptism of black feathers, a dark silhouette gradually erged from within their midst.
He stood motionless at the center of the formation. A crow perched upon his shoulder. Amid the dancing feathers, the sight was one of extraordinary elegance.
Yet the astounding pressure radiating from his body perated the air around every onlooker at every mont.
Had this been before—perhaps soone might still have found their voice to offer a word or two of comnt.
But the instant they laid eyes on this man, it was as though a bone-deep chill had seeped into their marrow.
Not a single person dared to make a sound.
Who was he?
But no one could give them an answer.
The man paid no attention to every spectator present, and simply stood atop the Magic Formation, giving a slight bow toward the unit.
The black Formation beneath his feet seed to shift and change color as a brilliant radiance blazed to life.
Within that alien hue, a magnificent yet compact castle erupted from the flat earth in an instant.
Towering battlents shot straight toward the sky, and strange, shifting colors flowed across the castle walls.
The great doors swung slowly open.
Countless white doves broke free of their confinent and burst from the gateway, wings beating in a clatter, soaring upward into the sky in a raucous flurry.
From within the flock of birds, a slender, gloved hand of snowy white extended forward and ca to rest in Viktor's open palm.
That noble and graceful figure stepped slowly out from within the castle.
She was clothed in armor of extraordinary magnificence and opulence, a diamond-encrusted crown upon her head, a soft white magical aura rising about her. Behind her, a white celestial radiance shone brilliantly—as though the stars themselves had gathered to exalt a single moon.
She... just who was she!?
The mont they caught sight of Auréliane, every Adventurer present was struck speechless.
Even from a distance, rely looking at her stirred within them an overwhelming impulse to fall to their knees.
This unit—from start to finish, lavish beyond all reckoning—
Just who exactly were they?
Before long, yet another army ca marching in from the distance.
The First Prince, clad in golden armor, erged slowly from the midst of his entourage.
He wore a gentle smile as he walked toward Viktor.
The watching Adventurers couldn't help but lift their heads, their very deanor turning reverent.
Simply because of his arrival.
In this Adventurers' Capital—Godinlima.
Everyone knew whose territory this truly was.
The Adventurers could at most hunt Magical Creatures around the Rift and scrape out a living.
Only he was the true master of this place.
The First Prince of the Empire—His Highness Aubeny.
Every Adventurer in the vicinity ringed the streets, sneaking glances at the scene unfolding before them, not daring to breathe a word.
Then, the First Prince's affable voice rang out:
"My dearest little sister."
"I've already heard about what happened. I simply hadn't anticipated you'd arrive this quickly."
"Forgive for the poor reception—please overlook this failing of your elder brother."
A stunned silence took root in every Adventurer's heart, a shiver of awe spreading through them all.
That magnificent girl, surrounded by her entourage as though stars encircling the moon—
Was actually... the First Prince's sister.
aning... Her Imperial Highness, the Princess!?
No wonder—in this unit, the Adventurers had already sensed no fewer than 3 presences radiating 4th-Tier auras.
Surely only the Emperor's daughter would warrant such terrifying ard strength as her personal guard.
Auréliane smiled sweetly at her elder Imperial brother.
"Imperial Elder Brother need not feel guilty. It was I who failed to notify you in advance."
"We ca in haste—I ask for your understanding."
The First Prince continued to smile gently as he addressed Auréliane:
"The journey must have been long. You must be exhausted."
"As luck would have it, allow —as your elder brother—to welco you with a proper reception."
As he spoke, he reached out to take hold of Auréliane's arm.
But in that instant, a repulsion force stopped him short, leaving his palm unable to make contact with her.
The First Prince's brow furrowed slightly, unable to make sense of it, and he instinctively raised his eyes.
They t directly with Viktor's utterly cold, impassive gaze.
"First Prince, the Princess has grown up."
A glacial voice reached his ears, carrying not a trace of courtesy:
"Children who grow up—they always go through a rebellious phase."
"Don't you think I'm right?"
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