Chapter 273
Chapter: 273
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 273
>Chapter Title: In the Dream Path (2)
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A few days before Prince Logan's group returned, the capital of Delcross was abuzz with rumors about the "Knight of Grace."
- The Lord God personally sent down a knight clad in ice armor to save His suffering subjects. They say the sacred light at that moment lit up the night sky like broad daylight!
- Prince Mores defeated an army of thousands of magical beasts alongside this ice knight! Now that the Knight of Grace has fulfilled its duty, it has been designated a holy relic and will eternally protect the capital!
Romaine, who had been wandering aimlessly near the city streets as usual, tilted his head at the sudden news.
"…The Knight of Grace?"
A Lord God without a name might as well not exist. There was no way He would perform such a trivial miracle now.
But since it had even been designated a holy relic, the rumor wasn't entirely baseless. It was probably a contrived miracle created by human hands for some purpose.
Moreover, the fact that it had spread so quickly suggested the strong possibility that the intelligence department under the Holy Emperor's orders had been involved. In other words, the Holy Emperor was the mastermind behind the scheme.
So he pondered for a moment.
"Why on earth would Delcross's guardian create something like that?"
There was no need to borrow the Lord God's authority, nor was it to check the nobles.
He was a powerful ruler with immense holy power befitting the title of God's proxy, one who held both the Orthodox Church and the nobles firmly in his grasp.
"It's what that man does. There must be some hidden agenda."
But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't reach a conclusion.
Out of curiosity, Romaine went to watch the triumphal procession and was greatly shocked when he realized the true identity of the "Knight of Grace."
"…A glacier troll? Why is a guardian of the demon realm here!?"
He rubbed his eyes beneath his mask several times in disbelief, but no matter how he looked, it was unmistakably a glacier troll. Though its appearance had been slightly altered, there was no way he wouldn't recognize that unique being which defied the physical laws of the base world.
The guardians that protected the path to the [Flower Garden] in the demon realm.
A place where the entrance was completely hidden, so much so that Romaine, with his gaps in memory, couldn't even guess how to approach it.
"If they've modified that glacier troll, it means they must have somehow altered and edited its source. But isn't that the lost technology of Ionia?"
The vast rules that encompassed all ordered worlds.
Did a method to interfere with them still remain?
Thud. Thump. Thump.
Overwhelmed by the majestic presence of the ice monster striding forth with dignity, Romaine stared at it, momentarily entranced.
"Long live Prince Logan! Long live Prince Mores!"
"Glory to the mercy of the Lord God who sent down the Knight of Grace for His subjects!"
The capital's subjects were equally ecstatic.
A white and beautiful suit of armor emblazoned with the Lord God's emblem on the chest, a cape fluttering as it nobly advanced toward the imperial palace.
It was as if a grand ancient myth had unfolded right before their eyes!
"…Beautiful!"
Romaine suddenly thought so in a daze.
"That is the spectacle achievable only by one who bends the world's laws to their will. The power to make things exist solely by one's own rules, even while defying the world's laws. That is a true miracle!"
Romaine had long known what Sigurd Sigurdson truly desired. Or rather, he thought he knew in his head.
But only now did he acutely realize just how grand and magnificent that dream was.
"What Sigurd Sigurdson truly wants is to create another grand order that the world must obey. Just as an ancient oracle once created rules backed by the power of thought, to establish a similar new order with his own power to shape stories."
It couldn't be summed up simply as becoming a god.
Perhaps Sigurd Sigurdson wanted to become an oracle.
"But all his attempts have ended up scattering into futile illusions. No matter how desperately he tried to imitate it, it could never be the same as the real thing…."
Romaine's despondent murmur slipped out, only to be instantly swallowed by the excited crowd.
There was no hiding his bitterness. Romaine, too, had once been sincere in his efforts to become one of those "fakes."
In any case, one thing was certain.
"Delcross's guardian. What a terrifying man. What move is this one for? To weave such a bewildering board that's so hard to predict—he must see so far ahead!"
He had unwavering faith in human limits and expected a slip-up soon.
Yet the Holy Emperor still seemed to be holding firm with considerable composure.
The only remaining hope was to steal away the rose of the imperial palace that he cherished so dearly and tie his hands and feet.
"…But is that even possible?"
When Romaine arrived at the rendezvous point, he felt even that faint hope evaporate like bubbles.
Prince Leonard, approaching with a bottle of liquor and a sleazy grin, looked utterly unreliable—enough to shatter a millennium of faith in an instant.
"Look at this, Romaine. A necklace to gift to Princess Amelia. Made with that precious crimson gold and gray diamonds! What do you think?"
Romaine felt despair.
The prince, his only current hope, wasn't just failing to captivate the princess—he was completely smitten with her.
For someone who had boldly boasted at first about stealing her heart, it was a pathetically feeble defeat.
"Yes. It's a pretty necklace. But how do you plan to give it to her?"
Despite being rejected every time they tried to meet?
"Ah, the demure Princess Amelia has apparently started showing up occasionally in high society lately, for some reason. So I thought I'd crash an appropriate ball."
Or ask Prince Mores to put in a good word. He's coming back soon, right?
Grumbling inwardly like that, Leonard caressed the necklace in the jewel box. The crimson gold petals, delicately crafted like roses.
"Isn't the meaning behind this design just perfect? The crimson gold symbolizes her beautiful rose-gold hair, and the precious gray diamonds capture the sparkle of her eyes!"
Romaine stared blankly at the box the prince held out before asking back.
"But isn't this just ordinary moonstone, not diamonds? It's not even considered a proper gem usually—do you think someone of the princess's stature would accept it gladly?"
Leonard looked deflated at that.
"Ah, as expected. Can't fool your eyes. What was it? Eyes that see through the contents?"
"Eyes that perceive the essence."
"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, those eyes of yours are uncanny. I thought since the shape was similar, no one would notice if I set it with expensive crimson gold."
Leonard carefully took out the necklace and examined it closely. Watching him for a moment, Romaine suddenly grew curious and asked.
"Don't you love her, Leo?"
Isn't that what people usually think?
When you adore someone, you pour your sincerity into everything for them. Instead of trying to deceive them from the start.
"That's an uncharacteristically naive question from you. Surprising you'd ask that. But what does my love for her have to do with gifting her a well-made fake?"
The prince's expression as he retorted was colder than expected.
"What if she finds out? Then you can't properly steal her heart, can you?"
"That's the same thing. If I love her, why should I beg for her affection?"
The eyes Leonard turned on Romaine gleamed cruelly. The same gaze he had shown in Rohan's palace just before smashing a man with a stone—filled purely with morbid curiosity.
"Since I'll have her anyway."
"……."
"Besides, don't we have various plans? We can't squander a fortune on something with no guaranteed results."
Saying that, Leonard held the necklace up to the sunlight.
Even if it was fake, the gray gem reflected a brilliant light rivaling diamonds in the sun. Even Romaine, who knew its fleeting value, was momentarily captivated by its beauty.
"See? So what if it's fake? If it's this pretty, that's enough."
Leonard smiled in satisfaction.
"Well, I don't know if she'll like it. No beautiful flower or flashy gem has ever captured her heart so far. Does the princess even like anything? What do I need to shove in front of her to get even a little admiration?"
* * *
"…So, so cool!"
Amelia's gray eyes sparkled with admiration as she looked up at the massive Knight of Grace.
"How did that knight defeat the magical beasts, Mores?"
"Yes, sister. He knocked out a glacier troll with one punch."
The guards murmured softly at Seongjin's response.
"'Knight'? Why leave the perfectly good sword next to him and not use it?'
But the princess seemed to think differently. Her cheeks flushed pink, and her clear gray eyes took on a dreamy haze.
"Amazing! What does it feel like to become such a strong giant? Just swinging an arm once would shatter a city wall in a hit, right?"
He'd thought so before, but why was his sister so obsessed with smashing city walls?
At her reaction, Logan and Masain exchanged glances.
"If sister reacts like this, maybe Sisle will look forward to it more than we thought?"
"Yes, Your Highness. She might actually like the ice bear more than expected."
"I was worried she'd be scared after getting the gift, but it seems like needless concern."
Of course, they had no idea Seongjin was thinking this inwardly.
"What a waste. If I'd known she'd like it this much, I should've pushed harder and brought a glacier troll for each family member. If only that stubborn Heresy Tribunal hadn't gotten in the way……."
[Give it up. The roads would all be wrecked.]
But while the subjects and nobles admired it purely, the Orthodox Church priests were pale with fear.
Even though it was called a miracle of the Lord God, they were terrified by this unfamiliar entity not mentioned in the scriptures.
Moreover, despite bearing the sacred name "Knight of Grace," why couldn't they sense even a shred of holy energy from it!
The high priests who had attended the Holy Assembly were equally displeased. They had hastily approved the bizarre thing as a holy relic under pressure from inside and out.
Cardinal Benitus's appearance was especially laughable.
"Ahh, these are the end times. The end times……."
He trembled pitifully in his already small frame, gnawing at his nails.
"For such an impure monster to roam openly in Delcross, filled with the Lord God's grace—what are we to do! Ahh, Lord God!"
Wracked by vague fear, he soon glared irreverently at the man he deemed the culprit.
Prince Mores.
"Yes. It's all because of that impure……."
Then someone sharply warned him.
"Please mind your words, Cardinal Benitus. You are now insulting both His Holiness the Holy Emperor and the authority of the Holy Assembly."
Turning around, he saw Archbishop Wesker, head of the Orthodox Church, glaring at him with his usual stiff face.
The insolent junior priest who clashed with Benitus over everything.
"Are you shamelessly invoking the Lord God's miracle now! I know you pressured Cardinal Mayer to rush the Holy Assembly's decision, Wesker!"
But Archbishop Wesker snorted dismissively, as if hearing nonsense, and turned his head away.
"To so easily criticize the Holy Assembly's decision, which strictly follows the scriptures, without basis from a mere priest! Now those truly are the end times."
"You dare……."
"Enough, both of you. This is in front of His Holiness."
Unable to stand it any longer, the head of the Holy Assembly, Cardinal Mayer, soothed them.
Meanwhile, Seongjin boldly stood before the Holy Emperor.
His eyes were slightly red for some reason, but his upright posture exuded perfect reverence. It was hard to believe this was the same pigheaded wastrel who could barely roll around comfortably just a few months ago.
Step. Step.
Standing before the Holy Emperor with military-like precision, Seongjin held out something politely with both hands and spoke.
"When the ice walls crumbled and the subjects of Sigismund fell into deep despair, light descended from the heavens—that was the Knight of Grace. The soldiers on the battlefield could not dare open their eyes to behold the Lord God's sacred glory."
Seongjin's voice flowed smoothly, as if oiled.
"As the Knight of Grace swung its massive sword, mountains split and the waves of charging magical beasts lost their momentum in an instant. It was a day when we could feel the Lord God's omnipotence down to our bones."
Without the slightest hesitation or stutter, it was flawlessly eloquent, like flowing water.
But of course it was. While Logan pursued the magical beasts, Seongjin had been fervently crafting magnificent tales with Francis back at the count's estate.
Some of these heroic tales were purely his own creations.
Everyone in the grand conference hall was entranced by the prince's vivid battlefield accounts. Only the Holy Emperor on his throne silently pressed his forehead with a troubled expression.
"He knows how to show off to the audience."
Archbishop Wesker, listening to Seongjin's voice—neither loud yet resonating clearly in every corner—thought to himself.
A quality he never dreamed the wastrel Prince Mores possessed.
"With eloquence like that for deception, no one could resist falling for it."
Then, a murmur reached her ears. It was Cardinal Benitus muttering lowly while staring at the prince.
"Impure. Utterly impure. Is that truly a demon-granted tongue……."
Archbishop Wesker blinked her single eye, thinking.
She never expected that rigid senior to share similar sentiments.