103 – The True Legacy of the Invitation
Maximilian!
I hear someone calling me.
I know.
I can hear it.
Your brain is shaking, so stop shaking it.
Priscilla.
“Maximilian!!!”
“I can hear you, Priscilla.”
Priscilla hugged me with tears in her eyes.
I patted Priscilla on the back and looked at the man in front of her who used hex magic on me.
Sharp.
Saint King Gregory.
The man who was struck by the spirit seemed to stumble for a moment, but then fell down on the floor.
Priscilla tried to approach the Holy King with a puzzled expression.
I gently grabbed Priscilla’s wrist and shook her head.
“He died.”
I can no longer feel anything from the being who was the Holy King.
It’s as if only a shell with its soul gone has been left lying around.
That thing should be considered dead.
“It’s more this way now.”
As I said that, I looked at the two people who were still standing near me.
Sir Pedro and Kyle.
The two people stood still with their swords drawn, as if time had stopped.
I think, like me, my mind was controlled by the entity that inhabited the body of the Holy King.
I tapped Sir Pedro on the cheek while using solar mana.
The mana of the sun clearly had the power to disperse this evil energy.
“That… “Is it okay?”
The sun’s mana is flowing normally.
Nevertheless, the reason Sir Pedro does not react like this is—
‘It seems like I’m having a fairly pleasant dream.’
You must be having such a wonderful and sweet dream that you don’t want to wake up.
I moved slightly away from Sir Pedro and took his shoulder back.
And then, recalling the drive of table tennis, I swung my palm with all my strength.
Wow!
A loud noise was heard, too loud to be a slap in the face, and Sir Pedro’s large body fell backwards.
“Oh, Maximilian?!”
Priscilla jumped up in her seat in surprise.
I shrugged my shoulders to indicate that it was okay.
He then struck Kyle, who was standing with his sword drawn in the same pose as Sir Pedro, as if time had stopped, in the face.
Wow!
Kyle couldn’t withstand my brilliant drive and hit his butt on the floor.
The two people were lying down like that and started blinking as if they had joined forces.
“Uh, uh….”
“This is…” .”
The two people blinked with bewildered expressions and then jumped up from their seats like Ottogi.
“Your Majesty!”
“Chairman!”
Still, I’m glad I came to my senses.
Thinking like that, I shook my head with a sigh.
“It’s all over.”
The two men finally relaxed and sheathed their swords.
But after I relaxed like that, I seemed to notice a sense of discomfort forming in my body.
“Uh….”
“Umm….”
The two looked at each other’s cheeks, then glanced at me and Priscilla.
“Is it still a dream? These things called escort knights….”
“Oh, no!”
“Sorry!”
I also had no intention of going this far.
But considering the sweetness of the dream I had, there was a high possibility that I wouldn’t wake up if I didn’t do this.
‘Mother….’
I looked at Priscilla, who was looking at me with a slightly uncomfortable expression.
If things had gone according to the story of The Garden of Thorns, would I have been able to escape the dream shown by the being inhabiting the body of the Holy King?
‘It must have been impossible.’
I of the Garden of Thorns, who took Priscilla’s life, will one day learn the truth through some kind of incident.
In such a situation, what if you were caught up in the illusion used by the being inhabiting the body of the Holy King?
I turned back time using a relic from a game called Piece of a Moment.
So, I got a glimpse into the future where everyone was saved, starting with my mother.
There is no way to be certain that it is a dream or fantasy.
‘Is it the power of God…? .’
It was a truly terrifying power.
***
The meeting with the feudal lords was scheduled to last until the end of June, but ended abruptly due to an unpleasant situation that occurred in the Holy Kingdom.
It is a holy kingdom that is said to be the second safest on the continent after the islands.
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As the king of the Holy Kingdom had died, the schedule had to be canceled due to safety concerns.
Even if that wasn’t the case, there was also the fact that it was no longer a situation for leisurely talks or discussions.
Among those who followed the mission, many spies appeared.
How many spies are there throughout the empire?
In order to sort things out, they had to return to the imperial castle as soon as possible and come up with a plan.
“Count Abarca.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
An incident that occurred in the Holy Kingdom lit the fuse.
As if they had been waiting, spies began to appear from all over the empire running amok.
Most of it was cleaned up by the lord’s knights, but reports continued that the damage was considerable.
As the situation continues, the Imperial Army is busier than ever.
Count Abarca also seemed to be much more tired than usual, as if his sleep time had been reduced by half.
But I also felt somehow more lively than usual.
As expected, he was a man who was more sincere than anyone else when it came to war-related matters.
“Next is a report related to the Holy Kingdom.”
The Holy Kingdom is the mastermind behind this incident.
I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but irrefutable evidence was discovered here and there in the Holy Kingdom.
“Was the Holy Kingdom the culprit? .”
Priests of the Holy Kingdom are dispatched to various parts of the continent.
As the relationship was in fact bound by a contract, it was a method of considering each other’s convenience to some extent.
Perhaps that’s why they were able to hide drugs even in the heavily guarded system.
No matter how brave the guards were, they would not have been able to rummage through all the items brought in by the priest.
“According to what has been reported so far─”
All the disturbances taking place across the continent originated from those with divine powers.
This was something that instantly destroyed the trust that had been built over hundreds of years.
So was this a good thing for the empire?
If you ask that question, it is inevitable that the situation has worsened.
“How is research on trauma progressing?”
“The health ministry will report to you. Current research on trauma—”
I learned that there is a being targeting the continent of Acradium.
This means that we must prepare for war soon.
In such a situation, I could no longer trust a priest to heal my trauma.
This is an incredibly serious problem.
“That’s it.”
“It’s more of an emergency measure. Hmm….”
I was lost in thought for a moment, staring blankly at the progress of the meeting.
‘Is it really such a trivial thing to do using such great power? .’
I felt something indescribable from the being in the Holy King’s body.
The fantasy that that being showed me was so sweet that it made me want to get lost in the dream and forget reality.
But isn’t it too difficult for a being of such great power to do such a thing?
He had such great power, but he fell asleep after doing something that took too much effort.
“If the enemy invades—”
Count Abarka was continuing his explanation regarding the construction of the empire’s defense line.
‘Basically, it’s a dozen years.’
Preparing for war is such an incredible task.
I can’t believe I have to prepare for the life I have lived even with the capabilities of the empire….
“Hmm?”
“What’s going on, Maximilian?”
“No, Your Majesty….”
Even beings that embrace the sun are not immortal.
As time goes by, we age naturally and one day we will meet the call of nature and come to an end.
Then, is there any need for the enemy to rush things?
Wouldn’t it be better to wait until the being that embraces the sun dies?
What if there is no war while I am alive?
After that, my descendants will be born again as beings who embrace the sun.
What if war doesn’t break out even then?
… A being that embraces the sun continues to be born?
That makes no sense.
Is there a reason why the enemy must begin an invasion of the continent while I am alive?
If not that too─
‘Was it an attempt to cut off future generations of beings who embrace the sun to prevent such a situation from occurring…? .’
Something kept getting stuck.
‘A being that embraces the sun…’ .’
A miracle in an incomprehensible realm that even so-and-so called the Grand Wizard cannot even guess what the principle is.
Could it be that the first emperor, who created such a miracle, could not have foreseen this situation?
“Then we will conclude the meeting with this.”
After creating such a great miracle, how did you leave behind only a sword and the sword technique you used?
… I wonder if there’s something I’m missing.
“Maximilian?”
After arriving at the Flying Dragon Pavilion, I was staring blankly at the sword the guest left behind, when Priscilla looked at me with a worried expression.
“Let me go to the sanctuary for a moment.”
I think there’s something left there that I don’t know about yet.
You only see what you know.
Now that we have come into contact with something that resided in the body of the Holy King, wouldn’t we be able to see something that wasn’t found there?
“No, let’s go together. “Follow me.”
“… “It’s a sanctuary, will it be okay?”
“You might need it. “I might lose my mind again.”
I left the Flying Dragon Hall with Priscilla and headed to the first treasure trove in the main city.
“Chung!”
As always, I passed the guard guarding the treasure chest and stepped onto the stairs leading to the sanctuary.
One step after another.
The more you step, the warmer you feel.
I followed the energy that enveloped my body as warmly as always, and before I knew it, I had arrived at the sanctuary.
I slowly placed my hand on the unidentifiable metal and pushed it forward.
“Do you feel anything?”
“I feel a little warm.”
“Um….”
I took the note left by the guest once again in my hand and read the pages.
As expected, there doesn’t seem to be anything special about it.
Thoughts like that were the moments when I turned the pages of the book to the page with nothing written on it.
[The seventh sun facing its final ordeal.]
On the blank page, new letters appeared as if they were waiting for my arrival.