Chapter 335. Caesar of Belief (4)
When the army entered Warrant with a flag bearing a large imperial family insignia, people all bowed their heads. The only people who could proudly present the imperial family insignia were the emperor and his immediate lineage.
The ordinary citizens of Warrant bowed down in response to the sudden visit of a high-ranking person, but the n.o.ble knights, adventurers, and mercenaries kept their focus on the flag while bowing their heads.
"It must not be an ordinary high-ranking person." Hillis stood up straight and watched the imperial procession with interest.
There were no other insignias other than that of the imperial family on the flag flying in the wind. Usually, when it came to the direct lineage of the emperor, a flag symbolizing each prince or empress was attached under the imperial family flag. The absence of such a flag meant that the emperor, or the crown prince, who was confirmed to succeed the emperor, was arriving.
"Since the emperor wouldn’t be coming here, it must be that stiff, good-looking man.” Hillis recalled the crown prince, whom she had been introduced to by Leisha two and a half years ago at the New Year"s Festival. He was handsome but not playful at all, so he didn"t match her at all.
"Saintess-nim, the opponent is the crown prince. So..." Albatoss nagged Hillis out of concern.
"I know. I"ll be polite in public." Hillis snorted.
Just as the carriage bearing the imperial family insignia pa.s.sed by Hillis, a trumpet sounded and the march stopped. As b.l.o.o.d.y rode ahead of the carriage atop a horse, he smiled lightly and bowed his head when he saw Hillis.
Hillis also bowed her head slightly in greeting, saying, "Best wishes with all endeavors, General b.l.o.o.d.y."
"This soldier is only following His Majesty"s order. Saintess-nim, you must be having a hard time taking care of the sick,” b.l.o.o.d.y said.
They had been acquainted with each other without Den and Leisha. Since they were personal acquaintances, the difference in their age wasn’t important. However, the two were well aware that they had to speak formally in public based on each other"s position.
Then the carriage door opened, and Crown Prince Zantes slowly emerged from it. He said to Hillis, "It"s been a while, Saintess."
Due to Zantes" appearance, people around him couldn’t raise their heads, and even the paladins, who never knelt except to the Pope and the saintess, bowed at the waist and showed courtesy.
Only Hillis stood up straight and just bowed her head, saying, "It"s been a while, Your Highness Crown Prince."
"It"s nice to meet again like this,” Zantes said, receiving Hillis’s greetings. Then he smiled and spoke to the people around him. "Now, everyone, raise your heads. I didn"t come here to receive bows.”
Despite Zantes’ statement, only a few n.o.bles raised their heads. For those lying on the floor and bowing, the crown prince was a person with status as high as the sky, who would be difficult to meet even once in a lifetime. Raising one’s head in front of such a person was no different from asking to have it cut off.
Zantes smiled bitterly at the sight, remarking, "Huh-huh, it"s hard. It"s so hard to approach people. If I stay here, many people will be uncomfortable, so excuse me first.” He then said to Hillis, ”I would like to meet you later. Do you have time?"
Hillis nodded. "Of course."
"Then I"ll send someone later. I"ll say my greetings then,” Zantes said.
"All right,” Hillis replied.
Zantes got back into the carriage, and the stopped procession resumed heading toward Warrant’s castle.
Hillis lightly clicked her tongue as she watched the moving wagon, muttering, "Tsk tsk, I feel bad for you."
Even if the crown prince met someone he knew while pa.s.sing by, he couldn’t stop and talk comfortably, but had to keep moving. Being in his position wasn’t a job fit for humans. That was especially true for those who didn’t enjoy power and were uncomfortable being bowed to.
"I suppose my situation isn’t so different,” Hillis remarked bitterly with a self-deprecating smile.
Albatoss, Hillis’s escort, shared that bitter look. He too knew that the saintess had few freedoms. The reason why he couldn’t forcibly remove the fly that buzzed around Hillis, despite not liking the fly, was because Den played a role in relieving her stress.
"Let"s move too. There are many patients who haven’t yet been treated,” Hillis said as she busily walked away.
* * *
Galak sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. As if awakening all the cells in his body, he called forth his mana and boosted his healing power. Using Mirpa"s healing potion and the self-healing power he had raised to the maximum, he treated the wounds he’d suffered from the Spirit Sword. Although the black mana that spread in all directions as a result was unpleasant, he recovered at a rapid pace.
"Tch, you"re still a monster beyond human limits." Libra clicked his tongue and complained as he watched Galak’s recovery.
Galak laughed happily. "It"s hard to hear someone calling me a monster. Aren"t you also a fanatic who gave up on being a human being?"
"Hmph! To overturn this false world, I would give up being a human a hundred times, or even a thousand times,” Libra replied.
The false world that Libra spoke of referred to one of the core doctrines of the Demon King wors.h.i.+pping church. They held that the present world was a false world, while the true world was its opposite, that lay sleeping behind it. As with any religion, they preached that the true world they desired was a utopia full of happiness.
"You make it sound as if you can give up on being human again and again. An animal that’s given up on being human once will always be an animal. Being a human isn’t something that you can just pick up at any time,” Galak remarked.
"You"re a smooth talker. But aren"t you in the position of cooperating with me to bring back our G.o.d?" Libra sneered.
Galak calmly said with a transcendent look, "Well, I don"t care whether this world is false or true, or whether I"m called an animal with a human face. It’ll be enough to see each other again."
Libra looked at him, annoyed. "That"s why I hate you. How dare you pretend to be transcendent while being such a selfish person!?" His tone gradually s.h.i.+fted from irritation to hatred.
Galak laughed pleasantly and replied, seemingly warmly, "Ahahaha! Then what should I do? Should I rush in with my eyes wide open because of my greed? I was already done with things like that more than a century ago. I don"t care if I show you the appearance you want as long as my resentment is realized."
Libra choked up, but he clenched his teeth and endured Galak’s words. What Galak needed hadn’t changed yet, after all. At a time when Doomstone, who was called a disaster from heaven, might invade, Galak"s power was very valuable regardless of whether Libra liked him or not.
"The ones who will invade are the Crow tribe"s current and former chief. There’s also Arpen and Mirpa, out of the four great madosas. Other than that, there’s also a possibility that the Dragon King of the Dragon tribe, the Guardian Knight of the Fairy tribe, and the s.p.a.ce Specialist of the Magic Kingdom will invade,” Libra said.
Galak shook his head. "You don"t have to worry about the great madosas because Aries will block them, and Ma.r.s.en is too far away to get here in time. All you have to worry about right now is Zendia, Doomstone, and the Dragon King." Afterward, he smiled and added proudly, "Besides, you’re late to the news. Now it’s not the four great madosas, but the five great madosas. My great-grandchild was recognized as a great madosa."
Libra sneered, "Ha! The one who got done in by Scorpio and had the holy book taken away?”
"Ayy, that"s because it was after he was weak after fighting with the great madosas, and then me. Under normal circ.u.mstances, I think Selina would have been the one to be done in,” Galak protested.
Libra pouted and said cheekily, "Yeah, yeah. I’m sure."
Galak inadvertently slammed his fist into Libra’s face for the rude remark.
Crack!
"Oh! I"m sorry. It’s because you were so rude." Galak quickly applied Mirpa"s healing potion to Libra’s shattered chin.
"Arghhhhh!" Libra struggled with the pain as the injury healed.
Galak looked at a distant mountain, remarking, "By the way, it"s strange that Selina hasn"t contacted me.”
"I, I"m going to kill you!" Libra yelled, charging at Galak with bloodshot eyes.
Galak easily overpowered Libra and sat on top of him, continuing, "I don"t have a good feeling about it. What do you think?"
"You b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Get off me!" Libra cried.
Galak yawned and said, "Ha-am~ Calm down first. You"re the one who did something to deserve being hit."
"Ugh! Just wait until the ceremony ends! Our G.o.d will kill you!" Libra exclaimed.
"Yes, yes. That’s what I want. So I’m asking, what do you think?" Galak continued.
While Galak and Libra were quarreling, the black mana of the altar began to fluctuate.
"Oh! Has the Demon King finally been summoned?" Galak asked while emitting his martial aura.
Libra, who lay squashed on the ground, said, "No. The other family members are waking up from a deep sleep."
As if driven by the black mana, s.p.a.ce distorted and several giant demons slowly appeared, growling as they emerged. They were the first demons created by the Demon King 120 years before, and the parents of all demons.
"Wow, it"s been a while since I saw these guys,” Galak commented. "I really remember how we struggled because they didn"t die even when we killed them, just like the Demon King. I think Oryana sealed them with the Holy Grail?" he reminisced nostalgically.
Libra laughed cheerfully. "Ahahaha! That"s right! The first demons are of one mind and one body with our G.o.d! The only answer is to seal them with the Holy Grail! But the Holy Grail is here!" He laughed even harder, as if he had forgotten that he was lying under Galak"s b.u.t.t.
* * *
"Wow," I exclaimed as I felt a great power emerge from afar. "It won"t be easy."
They weren’t empty words. It really didn"t seem easy. I didn"t know what monster had woken up, but it was enough for me to even believe that the Demon King had already been summoned. Even from such a long distance, I could feel the power to the point that my body felt tingly.
"Uuahahahaha! It’ll be fun!" My father got up excitedly from his seat, perhaps because it had been some time. He asked, "Did that Demon King guy get summoned?"
"No. I"ve read the Demon King summons, so I know it"ll take at least another day,” I said.
My father asked with lively eyes, "Then whose mana is this?"
I replied, "Isn’t it likely to be the family members the Demon King led? The ones called the first demons.”
"Hahahaha! I’m looking forward to that! I wonder how thrilling the Demon King will be?!" my father exclaimed, his martial aura flowing out unconsciously.
I slowly moved to the side, away from my father. I could feel our pet dragon shaking under my father"s martial aura, too.
-Heuk heuk, it’s scary.
My father"s martial aura seemed to be triggering the trauma of his pet dragon in real time.
If the Demon King gets summoned, let"s pray for the Demon King. It"s terrible that he’ll have to deal with my father. If I were him, I would just get sealed again. I shook my head.
* * *
Flam got gooseb.u.mps as he felt the enormous energy surge from afar. It stimulated a primitive fear that something that should not be present in the world was alive and breathing.
"Is Teacher going up against such a thing? It"s terrifying,” he muttered to himself. If he had to deal with such a monster, he was confident that he would run away immediately. "I hope you stay safe, Teacher."
Flam grabbed the reins of the green deer he was riding and urged it to run faster. Just a little further and he would arrive at Valhalla, the imperial army’s barracks.