Three days after the meeting...
In the Holy Kingdom, the Main Temple was devastated; there were thousands of corpses everywhere.
Visibility was blurry from all sides.
Jin stood before Lucian, who was kneeling on the ground, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly as he tried to rise, his left arm severed.
Jin stood over him, looking down with cold eyes, completely covered in blood.
Both of them appeared to be in their thirties.
Jin raised his hand, the darkness condensed, and then...
Jin woke up gasping for air, terrified by the scene, and quickly looked around.
It was the room he usually slept in whenever he came to Hans's tavern.
He sat up, thinking:
"What was that? And why did I and that knight look so old? What was that brilliant sword he was holding? And more importantly, why was the place destroyed and why was the scene like that?"
He took off the shirt he was wearing and looked at his body in the mirror.
His body was intact; the burns and most traces of wounds had disappeared.
His hair was short, and it seemed someone had groomed it for him while he slept.
Jin wondered:
"How could I be completely healed? This would require a great healing elixir. Is it possible that Hans or Borin possessed one?"
The boy dressed and went downstairs.
Borin was sitting at the table across from Hans as usual.
Jin sat on the chair in front of them.
"Thank you. I wouldn't have lived if not for this treatment."
Borin spoke, nearly drunk:
"Haaa? What are you talking about, brat? Don't worry about it."
Jin pulled his sword from the storage ring and placed it before Borin.
Borin immediately entered a state of focus, looking at the sword in shock; even Hans looked on in wonder.
Borin grabbed the sword and calibrated it slightly.
Borin: "Boy... this is an Orichalcum sword... how did it become like this?"
Jin: "...I met someone of my age and strength."
At the same time in the Holy Kingdom...
In one of the rooms, Neil was sitting behind the desk, and Lucian stood before him.
Neil: "A reward of fifteen million Astir has been placed on that demon's head. You did well to hold your ground against him; we will capture him soon."
Lucian did not reply, looking at him with a cold face as if dissatisfied with the situation.
Neil: "Fine, you may leave now. May the blessing of the Sovereign be with you."
Lucian left the room, walking down the hallway while muttering:
"That bastard, there's something truly strange about him. I know that person is indeed dangerous, but why do you insist on calling him a demon? Why are you trying so hard to capture him that you'd spread the poster throughout the entire Empire?"
Lucian wandered through the temple, observing the condition of the soldiers and the people.
He stopped in front of some people praying to the statue of the Sovereign . A look of distress appeared on his face.
A knight approached him and asked:
"Saint, I haven't seen you pray for a while. What is wrong?"
Lucian: "Nothing. I do that when I am alone."
Lucian left him and departed without saying another word. He wandered into another hallway, and behind a pillar, a young man was leaning with his arms crossed.
That young man had pale silver hair, wore a blindfold covering his eyes, and his clothes resembled traditional mage robes; he appeared to be in his early twenties as well.
He smiled as he looked at Lucian and spoke:
"So, what do you think of Neil's actions?"
Lucian: "I don't know. He worries me, and I feel a sort of unease when I'm near him."
The Young Man: "Haha, it seems your doubts might be correct. Forget about that. That young man you fought—you say he was the same age as us?"
Lucian: "Yes, and more surprisingly, he possessed a skill that rivals the Judgment Ray."
The Young Man: "It seems things are going to get really interesting."
The young man raised his hand and clenched his fist; a teleportation portal opened beside him.
The Young Man: "Alright... let's go now. Let's go rest, and tomorrow we go to the Tower."
The two young men entered the portal, and it closed behind them.
In a small inn near the Tower in the Imperial capital...
The two young men entered the room and each sat on his bed.
The Young Man: "Lucian, I'll go buy some food. Don't fall asleep, you failure."
Lucian: "Fine."
The other young man left and closed the door behind him.
Lucian sat with his hand on his head, muttering:
"Damn it, what are all these strange things happening lately? Status Window."
The window appeared.
[System]
Name: Leonheart
Age: 20 years
Level: 89
Race: Human
Class: [Heir of Light]
The boy closed the status window and remained silent for a moment, then spoke aloud:
"What I saw in the temple... it seems the situation has been this way for thousands of years. Haaa? Damn it... at first, they respected you and followed your teachings as a Governess as you wanted, but now they have come to worship you as a god. This is truly sad."
He went silent for a few moments, then continued:
"What do you think of this... my Lady?"
[System]
[...]
[The Constellation (Governess of Light) says she is sad and feels disgusted by the actions of humans.]
[The Constellation says she wishes she could come to you and stop the humans from doing this.]
End of Chapter
[ Note regarding the Currency System ]
Astir is the official currency of the Akran Empire.
* 1 Astir is equivalent to approximately $1.60.
> Author's Note: The currency is designed to reflect the economic dominance of the Empire. While a Copper Astir may seem small, its purchasing power is significant compared to other realms.
>