Chapter 109

After a moment of deathly silence, everyone in the room knelt down in a flurry, except for Sylvain, who remained standing with his head bowed. The continuation of the kingdom had nothing to do with him, and as a holy son of the Church, his status was transcendent. This was still the Papacy.

However, the other archbishops, the accompanying secretaries, and even Crown Prince Ethan all looked terrified.

Especially Crown Prince Ethan, whose face was as white as paper. Fifty years... fifty years, doesn't that mean it's very likely during his reign? Even if he wasn't in power, his successor brought about the downfall of the Lortheran dynasty!

How could His Majesty, who had accumulated power over many years and reigned twice, not be angry with him?

In the past two or three years, Ethan has been transformed from the naive, impulsive, and weak little prince he once was. He is a descendant of Lortheran, not stupid, and of course he can see the situation clearly.

But who can be blamed? His Holiness the Pope never brought it up at first; it was His Majesty the King who brought it up himself.

Ethan couldn't help but close his eyes briefly, beads of sweat sliding down his face. In that short moment, he was covered in sweat.

My back was instantly soaked with sweat, but it was cold sweat.

Lortheran's expression was also very stiff. He glanced at the people kneeling down, not daring to breathe, then looked up at the starry sky, his face grim, seemingly lost in thought.

He was indeed a born astrologer, but to glimpse the fate of a dynasty was far beyond the capabilities of an astrologer. He could indeed glimpse a trace of the dynasty's destiny, but who could have imagined that his thriving, resurrected kingdom would only have fifty years left to live?

He would never have imagined this!

His brows furrowed even more, and Veris's words made him look at the stars again, becoming more and more alarmed.

Veris was right; the Lortheran dynasty's rule lasted less than fifty years.

However, the Lortheran family... being the royal family, is not in decline. The trajectory of the stars no longer looks like the king star shining brightly, surrounded by other stars, but rather like the stars rising and forming a nebula.

The star that originally belonged to Wang Xing, though its light has dimmed slightly, is still dazzling.

Lortheran's expression shifted between light and shadow, but in the end, he relaxed his brow.

Seeing this, Veris's tense nerves finally relaxed a little. He was also worried that Lortheran would be furious. He had suddenly revealed this huge secret, and it was really... impossible to hide it any longer.

Many years ago, he foresaw the remaining lifespan of the dynasty. In recent years, he has taken some unconventional actions, yet he still failed to save the dynasty. The dynasty's fate remains the same, but the outcome looks much better than he initially predicted.

A hundred years ago, he witnessed war on the continent, a recurrence of the chaos of the era of the Seven Gods. He could only imagine his own death or the irreversible flaws in the rule of Lortheran.

Now that the shape of the nebula has been completed and the continent remains stable, this outcome is far better.

But these words cannot be said now. Veris put his hands behind his back and loosened his clenched fists.

Lortheran understood the celestial signs, Veris already knew it all along, and Sylvain, though he didn't understand them, didn't care.

But the others didn't even dare to lift their heads; they were so frightened they were practically paralyzed.

During this long silence, they began to plan what they would do if His Majesty the King became enraged, turned against the Pope, or punished the Crown Prince.

In the end, they sadly discovered that they dared not do anything.

Enraged, even Garcia, after weighing his options, thought that if the king above him were a relative, he might dare to stand up. But who was this king?

The history books of Lortheran clearly state that he was a prodigy, a ninth-tier warrior, a ninth-tier astrologer, who unified Icarus. His iron cavalry once trampled the Demon King's Forest, and he signed a pact with the Demon King, after which the demons no longer invaded the south. He established the Kingdom of Lortheran, and for decades he worked diligently to lay the foundation for the Lortheran Dynasty's rule. He allowed the entire continent of Icarus to recuperate and revitalize, and countless people admired and sang praises to His Majesty Lortheran I.

He's easygoing and easy to talk to. If he really took it seriously, Garcia wouldn't be alive today.

Garcia gritted his teeth and decided to ignore it. He would pretend to be deaf and blind. He was still the Archbishop of the Papacy, and no one in the royal family could replace him. The Pope would definitely protect him.

At worst, I can resign from my title and position and become a stay-at-home mom.

He never wants to experience such a scene again in his life!

With everyone lost in their own thoughts, they finally heard His Majesty the King's voice: "Since things have come to this—"

The kneeling person suddenly stiffened.

"We hope that His Holiness the Pope will not forget the long-standing friendship between the Royal Family and the Church, and will continue to provide support."

The kneeling people opened their eyes wide; their minds were in turmoil for a moment. What did that sentence mean?

Has His Majesty resigned himself to fate? But if he has resigned himself to fate, what does it mean to ask the Church for more support? The Church's power has shrunk significantly in recent years, and the resources it has given up have been handed over to the Royal Family. Does this mean that the Church will grow stronger in the future?

No, no, no, this was said to His Holiness the Pope. Who is His Holiness the Pope? In terms of both reputation and strength, he is the strongest on the continent. It's normal for His Holiness the Pope to look after us, after all, the king's reign is about to end... Ahh, stop thinking!

How can you think such nonsense?! The current emperor and the next emperor are both here!

Lortheran looked around at the people on the ground, as if only then noticing: "Why are you all kneeling? Get up, get up! Ethan, why are you on the ground too? How can a crown prince kneel on the ground with others?"

He helped Ethan up himself, but Ethan's expression wasn't very pleasant.

Because this was an inevitable outcome; no matter how long they knelt, they couldn't kneel forever, and the king needed to move on from the topic, as he couldn't stay in the Papacy indefinitely.

Veris watched as these people stood up shakily, waved his hand, and the stars disappeared, the room lit up again, but the light was not very bright. It was probably because the room had been dark for too long, and the sudden brightness was too dazzling.

Lortheran talked to him about some trivial matters, then left with his men.

The person who saw him off was naturally Garcia.

As soon as Garcia stepped out of the building, he shuddered, and his men quickly supported him.

Looking up, he saw that the others were in no better shape. Ethan was also pale, and the accompanying ministers were helping the Crown Prince up.

Only Lortheran's expression remained slightly somber. Those who hadn't gone in thought to themselves, "This meeting is going to end badly, isn't it?"

What happened to the Crown Prince and the Prince inside? The Prince was strong and healthy after fighting in the south two years ago, and the Crown Prince is even more youthful. Why do they look so frightened?

However, His Majesty the King looked much better, and the others observed that His Majesty did not seem to need any assistance.

I'm just not very happy.

After taking a few steps, he turned around and saw the group of people. He glared at them and said, "You spineless cowards, stand up straight!"

Seeing His Majesty the King walking with such vigor and decisiveness, and looking at the Prince and Crown Prince who were forcing themselves to stay focused, the others couldn't help but admire the King's strong mental fortitude.

The comparison clearly shows the superiority of the latter.

If those who went in knew what they were thinking, they would definitely curse them out, saying it's easy for them to talk when they're not in the situation. Let them try going in and they'd probably be so scared they'd crawl out.

—Our spirit is already very strong, okay!

The king returned to the palace and resumed his busy work of handling state affairs, holding meetings large and small without a moment's rest. Perhaps thinking that Ethan was frightened, he even granted him a half-day off.

Ethan went to Garcia's house, and the uncle and nephew embraced and wept bitterly.

Those people had no idea of ​​the pressure they were under. What did it mean that the kingdom had less than fifty years left to rule?! Ethan felt a chill run down his spine at that moment. If it were another king, he probably would have turned around and gone back to the palace to have him killed!

But the current king is His Majesty the First—that's even more terrifying!

The kingdom that His Majesty had built with his own hands was suddenly about to be destroyed, and he was very likely the culprit. Ethan was in tears, feeling that he was about to die.

Garcia is also under immense pressure; he's still affiliated with the Papacy.

He was not young anymore, and today's ordeal had almost robbed him of most of his energy. His face was deathly pale. Fifty years from now, he would probably be dead, and Ethan would be seventy years old. Logically speaking, he would not live to see the dynasty fall.

But what he feared even more was whether His Majesty would be angered by this.

He couldn't see the dynasty's collapse, but with the current turmoil, he was certainly at the center of the maelstrom.

Just thinking about it made Garcia feel like he was going to faint.

The uncle and nephew lay on the ground for a long time. As night fell, they finally managed to get up and have dinner, but they still looked miserable.

No matter how terrified they were, they still had to see the king.

Garcia even has to face the Pope, who was once a close friend of His Majesty the First. Will this cause a rift between them? If so, he will truly be caught in the middle.

Ethan probably thought of this as well, and his gaze toward Uncle Wang couldn't help but show sympathy.

He asked, "How long will His Holiness the Pope stay in the capital this time?"

Garcia paused for a moment before saying, "I think it will take at least six months."

Ethan felt even more sympathy.

Then she thought about it again and realized that she didn't even know if she would survive. So she became even more heartbroken. When she looked up, she saw that Uncle Wang looked as if he had aged twenty years in a single day. Her heartbreak was replaced by worry.

Garcia comforted him, saying, "Since His Holiness the Pope has said that you are a wise monarch, His Majesty will not hold a grudge against you. Don't worry."

Garcia was far more knowledgeable than Ethan and had more worries. The carefree and plump Prince Garcia of a few years ago now looked rather old.

The next day, Garcia went to the Papacy as usual to handle official business. After Hilda and others were dismissed, the task of dealing with the royal family and even the entire court fell to him. Those people were obviously more willing to communicate with this archbishop who was naturally on the side of the royal family.

He carried more than a dozen documents that needed the Pope's review to the Pope's study.

As Garcia passed by the study on the first floor, he saw that it was empty. He paused and looked puzzled. Why wasn't the Holy Son here at this hour? The desk was spotless, so it didn't seem like he had left midway.

Outside the Pope's study, Garcia waited for Veris's permission, then stepped into the study and quietly explained the origin of the documents in his hand.

Veris closed the document in his hand, looked up at Garcia, his gaze lingered, and he frowned: "Are you sick?"

Why does he look so haggard? To be honest, when Veris came back from his stroll outside and saw Garcia who had successfully lost weight, he was still not used to it for a long time.

Since he wasn't used to it, he simply left again.

As the night passed, Garcia really looked like he was in his fifties.

A few years ago, he looked like a middle-aged fat man, living a life of luxury and always smiling.

Upon hearing this, Garcia replied cautiously, "I didn't sleep well last night, Your Holiness, there's no need to worry."

Veris pointed to the table next to him, indicating that he should put the documents there. He then looked down at the official documents and said, "Is it about what happened yesterday?"

Garcia dared not hide it and said "Yes".

He heard the Pope say "Oh," and then say nothing more, only telling him that if he felt unwell, he should go back to his residence and rest for a few days.

What does this mean? Garcia was somewhat apprehensive. If he weren't standing in front of Veris, he could find a million reasons to comfort himself that he would be fine.

But standing in front of Veris is a different story.

Seeing his appearance, Veris couldn't help but feel sorry for him and said, "You underestimate your king. He doesn't care what will happen in fifty years. Everything will remain the same, and Ethan won't be affected. He will be furious if you go to see him looking like this."

The young man waved his hand: "Don't come to the Grand Vatican these next few days. Go find Clark or someone else, take a walk around the capital to clear your head, and remember to look in the mirror when you get back. It's unsettling to look at yourself."

Garcia hesitated for a moment, but still chose to believe the Pope's words. After expressing his gratitude, he hurriedly ran off.

He quickly assigned the work to his subordinates and returned to the Prince's Mansion by carriage.

He went back and asked his servants to bring him a mirror. When Garcia saw the person in the mirror, he couldn't help but be speechless.

The prince, who was full of vigor and fighting in the south just two years ago, has now turned gray overnight, and the wrinkles around his eyes have deepened.

Time suddenly revealed its cruelty.

He suddenly felt a little short of breath, slowly put down the mirror, and sat on the sofa. The servants around him dared not breathe.

After a while, or perhaps half a day, a servant rushed in to report that Lord Clark had come to visit.

Garcia was jolted awake and immediately sent someone to fetch Clark.

He and Clark have been friends for many years. Although Clark has been dealing with Granvars more in recent years, the two still get along very well.

Clark's visit so soon is probably because His Holiness the Pope sent him to comfort him.

Garcia sighed inwardly. No wonder the Pope had given him so much advice and even had Clark comfort him in his current state… He sat on the sofa, unsure of what to say.

Although His Holiness the Pope likes to call them good-for-nothings and shows no mercy when it comes to important matters, he still takes good care of them in ordinary times.

Back then, didn't the Pope eat the bizarre dishes he and Clark researched without batting an eye?

As Garcia relaxed slightly, he immediately recalled all the good things Veris had done for him. Apart from this major layoff, Veris had never treated them unfairly.

On the contrary, Veris had them rewrite the magic book and research new ninth-order magic years ago, but they made no progress whatsoever. What else could they be but good-for-nothings?

They deserve to die!

When Clark entered, he was first shocked by Garcia's aged appearance, and then he saw his old friend's worried face. His heart jumped instantly. Garcia had lost weight, but Clark was still the same carefree and plump man. He ran over quickly, his flesh trembling, and he exclaimed "Ouch!"

"Old friend, what's wrong with you? Did someone offend you, or did something terrible happen? Seeing you like this really makes me feel bad."

Garcia snapped out of his daze, looked at Clark, his lips twitched a few times, and finally said with a heavy heart, "I will follow His Holiness the Pope to the death."

Clark: "?"

Has Garcia lost his mind? Isn't this something everyone tacitly agrees on? Saying it now, doesn't mean Garcia wasn't thinking the same thing before?

Thinking of this, Clark stopped the car and silently took a step back.

Garcia understood immediately and smiled wryly, "What are you thinking? Of course I am loyal to His Holiness the Pope, but after experiencing this, my heart has become even stronger."

Clark breathed a slight sigh of relief, sat down, and asked worriedly, "What happened? His Holiness the Pope sent me to visit you. I heard you were ill? The junior priests said you looked quite sick. Now that I see, did you call a doctor?"

Garcia felt much better after hearing his friend's sincere concern. He was still slumped on the sofa and hesitated for a long time before finally keeping yesterday's events a secret. He only said, "I must have been making a fuss. His Holiness the Pope saw that I wasn't feeling well and granted me a few days off to go out for a stroll."

Upon hearing this, Clark's eyes lit up and he smiled, "That's great. You should get some rest."

Although he said this, he knew in his heart that what could make Prince Garcia, who had been in a high position for many years and stood calmly between the storms of papal and royal power, "make such a fuss" was no small matter.

But the Pope himself sent him to comfort Garcia. What does that mean?

This means that even if tomorrow collapses, His Holiness the Pope will still be there to take care of it!

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Author's Note: Garcia: He fell for PUA himself and was a huge success at it.

Clark: Don't mention him, he's been a fan for ten years.