Chapter 606: The King of Pride (Part 10)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 606: The King of Pride (Part 10)
"A Heaven-Bestowed Crown? Holy crap, a Crown Bearer!"
Somewhere in the Imperial Palace, the Pink Bear stared up at the radiant crown descending from the sky. His bear eyes widened, and his jaw nearly hit the floor in shock.
"How old is she? Damn it, she can't even be twenty yet! Has there ever been such a young Crown Bearer in all of history?"
"Probably not," the Former Saintess replied. She stood by the window with her arms crossed, also looking up. The brilliance of the descending crown pierced through the clouds, illuminating the horizon. Beneath its magnificent aura, the myriad colors of the world seemed dull and faded.
"However, she likely forced the breakthrough by relying on the empowerment of the 'Empire.' Normally, jumping through such massive stages of cultivation is impossible, let alone leaping directly into the realm of a Crown Bearer."
"But you can't just reach the level of a Crown Bearer by stacking raw power, can you?"
The Pink Bear tilted his head and grumbled, clearly still questioning reality. "A Heaven-Bestowed Crown requires a grand ambition or a will recognized by the heavens themselves before it descends. For a martial artist, that is the most difficult step. Countless geniuses have been stuck at that threshold, unable to take that final leap for their entire lives."
"So, you were one of those 'stuck' geniuses?" the Former Saintess asked, casting a meaningful glance his way.
"I was not!"
The Pink Bear slammed the table in indignation. "I had clearly stepped into it back then! I was halfway there! Half! A! Foot! It was only because of that damned Blood Surge Disease that I was forced to retreat."
"So you were just rubbing against the entrance but never actually made it inside, right?" the Former Saintess teased, hiding a giggle behind her hand.
"I just... forget it, I'm not arguing with you."
The Pink Bear shook his head and slumped back, sighing.
"Precisely because I once had half a foot in the door, I know exactly how hard that step is. To be honest, I still don't understand what it means to be 'recognized by the heavens.' The heavens... the heavens... does such a thing even exist? How does it compare to the gods? You were the Church's Saintess and a Crown Bearer yourself—don't you have any insider info on this?"
"The heavens..."
The Former Saintess shook her head. "Perhaps someone at His Holiness the Pope's level could catch a glimpse of the truth. I wasn't qualified enough."
"Tsk."
"But regardless, she has entered that realm. Even if she loses her support and falls back down later, the path to that realm will be a smooth road for her from now on. Perhaps that is exactly why she chose to stand there."
"True enough."
"What, are you jealous?"
The Former Saintess looked at the Pink Bear with a teasing expression. "It seems your title as the greatest genius of the royal bloodline in a thousand years is about to change hands."
"Hmph, why would I be jealous?"
A gratified smile appeared on the Pink Bear's face, though he continued to huff and puff for show.
"The royal curse has vanished. Once my Blood Surge Disease is cured, becoming a Crown Bearer will be a matter of minutes. With my level of genius, the sky will be the limit. Who could possibly stop my stride toward freedom then?"
"Oh? Once you're a Crown Bearer, you'll do whatever you want?"
"Don't make me laugh! What do you mean 'once I'm a Crown Bearer'? I can do whatever I want right n—"
The Pink Bear suddenly clapped a paw over his mouth.
However, the Former Saintess had already slipped on her knuckledusters. She walked toward him with a gentle, terrifying smile.
"Hehe... So, you did secretly hide more Saintess photo books, didn't you? Tell me, which Saintess is it this time..."
*
"A Heaven-Bestowed... Crown?"
Deep beneath St. Maria Academy, in the flower sea.
The Artificial Sky Dome remained a serene azure, and a gentle breeze blew as if it were a warm spring day. Yet Mela kept her head tilted back, as if she could see the crown descending from the heavens through the earth itself.
"The heavens... the heavens... Hehe... One day, I will..."
Mela whispered softly and waved her hand.
The flower sea parted, revealing a cold mechanical structure beneath. Countless massive gears meshed together, forming a precise and grand artificial creation.
Mela looked tiny floating above it, but the moment she raised her hand, it felt as though she were about to seize the entire sky in her grasp!
*
The brilliance shone down. The radiant crown was engraved with the morning star, the sun, and the moon, surrounded by the phantoms of all living things. It looked as if it were carved from diamond, yet it possessed no weight. As the clouds parted, the crown seemed to be held by an invisible, divine hand, which gently placed it upon Celicia's head.
Golden specks of light wove together into a magnificent set of papal robes. The layered skirts bloomed like a peony. Celicia's exquisite profile was adorned by the flowing light, her cold demeanor transforming into a majestic, awe-inspiring authority.
This was the majesty of an Empress.
Her silver hair danced in the wind as frost flowers fell. Simply by standing there, the light and shadows around Celicia seemed to narrow, as if bowing in submission to this new Empress.
"Long live... Her Majesty the Empress!"
In the city, countless people watched this scene and instinctively fell to their knees, offering shouts of heartfelt reverence.
Celicia raised a hand and pressed down slightly, and the thunderous cheers instantly fell silent. She did not lose herself in the worship of the masses. Instead, she lowered her eyes and looked ahead.
"No..."
Albert's gaze was vacant. He shook his head and staggered backward, seemingly unable to look directly at the current Celicia. He clawed at his own eyes as he shrieked in disbelief:
"How can you... How can you... Without my recognition, how could you possibly..."
"And that is your tragedy."
Celicia's ice-blue eyes shifted slightly. Her pupils reflected Albert's pathetic state. This moment was exactly like the one before, only their roles had been reversed. Now, it was Celicia looking down on Albert.
"You have stood at the top for too long. You seem to have forgotten where your roots were planted!"
Celicia gripped her sword and gave it a gentle flick toward Albert.
Squelch—
In an instant, a crisp sound like tearing silk rang out, and the world went dark.
A blinding, majestic light fell with that strike, like a bolt of lightning piercing a deep ravine. In a flash, Albert's body was sliced in half from top to bottom. The dark, foul stench flowing from the "former" Sword of Kings held out for only a moment before being evaporated and purged.
Before the authority of an Emperor, that smear of filth appeared utterly ridiculous.
"No... it's not over yet."
Even so, Albert—or rather, the "former" Sword of Kings—did not seem to give up.
The originally noble sword was no longer just shedding its ornate exterior. Accompanied by a screeching sound like grinding iron, cracks appeared across its surface. Countless roots erupted from the blade once more, burrowing into Albert's mangled body.
He twisted and struggled to rise again, glaring at Celicia with venomous hatred.
"It's not over!"
Boom!
The earth shook.
Celicia looked up, shifting her gaze from Albert to the Golden Great Tree that had been standing there all along.
"Finally... have you lost your temper?"
It was a tree of impossible proportions. Its trunk was as thick as a mountain peak, and its branches stretched out to blot out the sun, shrouding the entirety of Belland.
One could say that this Golden Great Tree, which had been standing silently, was the true source of the "former" Sword of Kings' power. It was the manifestation of the sword feeding on the Empire, drawing its nutrients. It was the foundation.
And now, the tree that served as the source finally moved.
The shaking of the earth was caused by it. Those thick, massive branches writhed and intertwined, moving like a giant living creature.
Celicia pressed down with one hand, spreading a supreme radiance that calmed the tremors caused by the tree's movement. Then, she raised her sword with her other hand and slashed.
A terrifying wound instantly tore through the giant tree. The tree shuddered, and a foul darkness identical to that of the "former" Sword of Kings flowed out. Faintly, the sound of an infant's crying could be heard.
But the transformation continued. A massive number of roots dropped from the branches, growing frantically as if they intended to take root in the soil once more to suck up nutrients.
"It's trying to..."
Celicia's brow arched slightly.
The connection between the "former" Sword of Kings and the Empire had already been severed. Therefore, the massive Golden Tree could no longer exert any influence on the "Empire itself." It wasn't something that could be fixed just by growing more roots.
So... where was it planning to draw its nutrients from?
*
In the dungeon.
As the ground trembled, dust and grit fell from the dilapidated ceiling, landing right on the bread in Sharp's hand.
The bread was black bread, mixed with husks and sand. It was already difficult to swallow, and now that it was dirty, Sharp finally lost his temper. He hurled the bread to the floor, rushed to the cell door, and roared at the outside:
"You bastards! Who do you think I am? I am a noble Marquis! I am the head of a great clan bearing the name of Dion! How dare you lock me in a place like this and feed me that garbage... How... how could you..."
"Shut up!"
A jailer's cold, angry voice came from outside.
"It's only because you used to be someone important that we're giving you bread at all. The usual prisoners in here don't even get black bread!"
"I am not a prisoner! I am a Marquis of the Empire, a true master of this land! I am—"
Thud!
Before he could finish, a black steel baton swung through the bars, slamming hard into Sharp's abdomen.
All of Sharp's power had been sealed, and his body was already weak. Caught off guard by the blow, he was sent flying into the back of the cell, curling up like a shrimp in agony.
"Pah. 'Master of the Empire'? In here, you're just a prisoner."
The jailer spat on Sharp, sneered, and turned to leave, not deigning to waste more time on him.
The filthy, foul-smelling cell returned to silence.
"You... peasants!"
Sharp roared in a low voice. His neatly trimmed fingernails dug deep into the straw mats and dirt where insects crawled. This contempt made him feel a level of humiliation and rage he had never experienced before.
"To treat me like this... I'll kill you. Sooner or later, I'll kill you all!"
He stumbled to his feet and moved to the other side of the cell.
There, high up on the wall, was a tiny opening.
Through this hole, he could clearly see a massive Golden Great Tree rising from the ground, looming over the sky.
Sharp had a certain level of understanding regarding the overall plan and much of the insider information. Thus, when he saw the Golden Great Tree, he knew that his father's plan had succeeded.
His father had mastered the Sword of Kings and become the Emperor of the Empire.
Next... his father would use the throne to open backdoors for the Dion family and the other families that had assisted in the operation, allowing them to return to their rightful positions.
Yes, the Glory's Blood that coexisted with the Empire would return to its proper place and rule over those short-sighted peasants once again!
This was the correct path to lead the Empire to prosperity, was it not?
An excited light shone in Sharp's eyes. He stood on his tiptoes, gripping the edge of the opening, and craned his neck with growing anticipation.
His mind was already plotting his next moves... reviving the Dion family, destroying the Campbell family, dealing with everyone who had ever opposed him. The Princess... his father would likely handle the Princess personally; it wasn't his turn yet.
Oh, and those peasants from just now—those lowly creatures who dared to stain the noble Glory's Blood with dust—they all had to die!
Every last one of them!
The more he thought about it, the more Sharp felt that the future was right before his eyes. He strained his neck further, wanting to witness the moment of triumph with his own eyes.
And then, as if hearing his desire, the light from the Golden Great Tree drew closer and closer to his joyful gaze...
Puchi.
Flesh was pierced.
However, no blood flowed out. There was only a gurgle-gurgle sound, like someone swallowing in large gulps, echoing through the filthy cell. It was exceptionally chilling.
"Eh?"
Sharp looked down in disbelief. He didn't see a glorious future. He only saw a root-like tentacle burrowed deep into his flesh, greedily devouring the "noble" Glory's Blood within his body.
