Chapter 55

The rumors and gossip surrounding the royal family's romantic affairs even completely suppressed the legend of the so-called divine artifact.

Walking through the capital, if you were to discuss with someone whether Prince Garcia and His Majesty the King were truly in love, you would receive some approving glances and others glares that would love to tear you to pieces.

If you talk to people about legendary artifacts, they'll just roll their eyes at you. Do these people even deserve to discuss legendary artifacts?

The people of the capital city did not buy it.

Fortunately, the news spread quickly elsewhere. The Golden Merchant Guild's announcement clearly stated that the divine artifact would appear during this year's Royal Capital Academy entrance trial, and obtaining it would not only change the continent's landscape but also make it possible to become the strongest.

Originally, only a few people knew about the artifact, but now the Golden Merchant Guild has gone all out and let everyone know. Suddenly, many people are openly and secretly watching the entrance trial of the Royal Capital Academy.

In previous years, the entrance trials were held in the Central Forest.

Moreover, the central forest is not completely closed off. The Royal Capital Academy has simply put up a sign to warn other adventurers which areas are the Royal Capital Academy's entrance trial grounds, and that they will bear the consequences if they are accidentally injured.

There are five days left until the Royal Capital Academy entrance exam begins.

The Royal Capital Academy suddenly announced that this year's entrance examination is open to most eligible individuals, and anyone interested in studying at the Royal Capital Academy can participate in the examination.

However, those who die or are injured during the trial are responsible for their own consequences.

Trial participants with an admission recommendation letter will have three protections against fatal blows. Once these three protections are exhausted, the recommendation letter will trigger a teleportation array to ensure the trial participant's safety.

The admission recommendation letter is locked to the trial participant and cannot be stolen.

The entrance exam, originally scheduled for five days later, has been postponed for another five days.

Doesn't the fact that the Royal Capital Academy did this prove that the so-called divine artifact really exists?

This time, the legend of the divine artifact finally overshadowed the romantic secrets of the capital, and everyone started discussing whether to try their luck.

However, those who can obtain a recommendation letter from the Royal Capital Academy are not ordinary people. They are either exceptionally talented, come from prominent families, are young masters of other races, or have ridiculously good luck.

What do we have to compare ourselves to others with?

Moreover, the purpose of the Royal Capital Academy's entrance trial is simply to group students with similar aptitudes into one class. If someone were to die during the entrance trial, it would be a rare occurrence in the entire history of the Royal Capital Academy.

Some people watched the spectacle, while others joined in.

The inns in the capital have been booming lately, with almost no rooms available. People from all over the continent, eager to seize the divine artifact, have flocked to this most prosperous capital city on the continent.

Upon entering the capital, they learned that the king had suddenly fallen ill and was in a coma, and that the young prince was now in charge of the government.

Then I heard some strange and wonderful stories about the royal family.

They expressed great shock.

The people of the capital city utterly despise them: those stinky outsiders have no idea what it's like to be a brotherly lover/the irresistible prince!

Open admissions have not been held for a long time, so everyone who signs up for the entrance trial must sign a contract, assuming full responsibility for their own life and death.

The Papacy.

Veris sat lazily on the sofa, his posture unsteady, almost lying on Sylvain beside him. The others in the room dared not look at him, staring intently at a certain spot with unwavering eyes.

"This decision was made by the dean, and I only just received the news myself," Copperfield said honestly, sitting opposite him with his eyes darting around.

“So the artifact thing is true.” Beside him, Riveren stared at his fingers, as if he could see a flower bloom in them.

Veris casually remarked, "There is such a thing."

The other archbishops quieted down, and Fikris couldn't help but glance at the two people sticking together.

"It's in my bedroom."

The archbishops were taken aback, but accepted it without hesitation. After all, it was the Pope; if any divine artifact were to appear, it wouldn't be anyone else's turn.

Veris continued, "However, I intend to use that thing as an entrance test for the academy."

Sylvain sat upright, like a human-shaped cushion.

Many of the archbishops also hold positions at the Royal Capital Academy. For example, Copperfield, the dean of the Magic Academy at the Royal Capital Academy, became somewhat uneasy upon hearing Veris's words and tentatively asked, "The trial of the divine artifact, wouldn't that be different from previous years?"

Although it was a seemingly pointless question, it conveyed the meaning.

Since it concerned the next batch of freshmen, everyone else also perked up their ears.

I will name this trial—

The young man straightened up slightly, rested one hand on the palm of the person next to him, and smiled: "The old days."

The Key to Migannolan, an artifact capable of unlocking the past, should certainly be put to good use.

The Golden Merchant Guild made public what was originally known only to a few parties. Some people in the Royal Capital Academy were also anxious. Since the Golden Merchant Guild was not capable of obtaining the artifact, they would not be polite to the Golden Merchant Guild and would start a great competition. The artifact was in the possession of the hero, and whoever could obtain it would depend on their own abilities.

They even extended the age limit to thirty.

Veris murmured the slogans those people were carrying: "Conquering the continent is a piece of cake... Let them experience what the real past was like."

He raised his hand and looked at Copperfield: "Considering that Soldas has been quite dedicated all these years, tell him that the artifact is in my hands. I will open a brand new secret realm. Newcomers will automatically leave the secret realm if they encounter danger. As for the others, they can only leave the secret realm if they find the token I set."

"In the Trial Realm, the ruins of gods will appear. If any lucky person obtains the inheritance of the god's ruins, it will truly be a meteoric rise."

Soldas, Dean of the Royal Academy.

Upon hearing this, almost everyone's expression changed. The ruins of a god were simply legendary things. The appearance of the divine artifact had already astonished them. The ruins of a god carried the legacy of a deity. If they were to inherit that ruin... the allure was unimaginable, far more terrifying than any divine artifact.

Granvar was listening intently, but his focus was elsewhere: "Is this secret realm a true return to the past?"

Veris nodded: "It is indeed the past."

The old man glanced at him and said, "...Wouldn't that mean I'd run into you?"

Veris knew perfectly well what Granva was worried about; someone definitely wanted to go back and kill him, which would change everything drastically.

He smiled and said, "If someone kills me, how will I unlock the secret realm to return to the past in the future?"

"A secret realm that has never been opened, yet some have fallen into it; then they shall await their annihilation by fate."

The artifact is in the Pope's hands.

However, the Pope threw out something even more insane: the ruins of the gods, and pointed out that the gods corresponding to this secret realm were the Time God and the Fate God, two of the seven gods.

Reversing time and defying fate are not just empty words.

After the meeting, the archbishops left one by one, with those holding positions at the Royal Academy heading there together.

Royal Capital Academy

Soldas looked at the smiling Copperfield with a wary expression: "Then why doesn't His Holiness the Pope enter the secret realm himself to retrieve the ruins?"

Copperfield: "Oh dear old man, what can I say to you? Has your brain been alchemed? Look at you, can the you of your childhood and the you of today coexist? Don't make me laugh."

He then burst into laughter.

Soldas swallowed his anger, knowing he couldn't get the artifact anyway. He just couldn't swallow his pride. The Golden Merchant Guild's actions were a clear betrayal. His men hadn't gone too far in their pursuit of the Hero's team, and besides, they didn't realize how important the Hero was back then.

Now that the country is at peace, there are countless powerful figures to fight the Demon King if he comes out; how could a mere brat possibly stand a chance?

Unexpectedly, the church was secretly protecting Arnold and the others.

The Pope has long since taken the artifact away, but what Soldas is more concerned about is that the Pope has actually come out again.

The last time he appeared in public was when he accepted Sylvain as a student, but it wasn't in front of the public. It was only in the presence of the deans of the Royal Academy that Sylvain's name was printed on the Pope's student certificate.

Then he said a bunch of rather vulgar things, meaning that he would make trouble for anyone who dared to give Sylvain a hard time.

Soldas thought the Golden Merchant Guild president was crazy for making certain insinuations. Rumors were circulating that the Pope was already dead, and people actually believed it.

However, Soldas didn't warn the fool, and each time he replied, he echoed the sentiment, which made the fool more and more convinced that the Pope was dead.

...Two years ago, the Pope, dressed simply, swaggered through the Royal Academy and no one recognized him.

Who would have thought that someone dressed in such drab clothes would be the Pope?!

Soldas took a slight breath, thinking of the recent uproar in the capital, and cautiously asked, "Is the Pope planning to get rid of someone?"

"Rude!" Copperfield exclaimed condemningly. "You're making our Pope sound like some kind of scoundrel."

Soldas: ...a lunatic.

He looked at Copperfield and changed to an appreciative expression, nodding at him: "Old man, you're smarter than I thought. Let me tell you this: the Third Prince is incredibly audacious. Not only does he want to murder the King, but more importantly, he wants to scheme against His Majesty the Holy Son."

"...Is he insane?"

"You should say he and the Golden Merchant Guild have gone mad."

Soldas listened and thought that made sense. Everyone gets senile at times, but this was no longer just about senility; these were two stubborn mules.

Putting aside the fact that Sylvain is the undisputed heir to the papacy, Orlando's doting affection for Sylvain is simply unheard of.

It is said that the Pope's private treasury contains countless treasures, and that taking them out casually could cause a sensation. Only two people are allowed to enter the treasury: the Pope himself and Sylvain.

Although the Pope didn't appear much while Sylvain was studying at the academy, the staff in Sylvain's hand was made by the Pope himself. The unique symbol of the Pope on the staff was something that the young people might not understand, but these old folks certainly did.

Soldas narrowed his old eyes and exchanged a glance with Copperfield.

"I have an idea."

Copperfield slowly broke into a smile: "Old friend, tell me quickly."

"Graduated students can participate in the trial."

Copperfield's eyes gleamed. He thought for a moment, then grinned broadly: "Well, well, you're ruthless! I thought you would cooperate with the Golden Merchant Guild."

Soldas shrank back: "Even the Pope has intervened. Do you think I'm too old to live?" Moreover, the Third Prince colluded with the Golden Merchant Guild to murder the King, which is a capital offense. The fact that the kingdom is not in trouble now is probably due to Garcia's help.

With the Pope presenting the golden bow and arrows, and Garcia wielding the golden scales, these two items were arguably even more important than the crown for the succession.

Copperfield hissed softly, "Isn't this too obvious?"

Soldas, however, didn't see it that way: "Think about it, how many students have I already graduated? Now that old fool Jin thinks I'm on his side, he'll definitely think I'm sending my students in to fight for the artifact."

Those who graduate from the Royal Capital Academy and are under thirty years old are many times stronger than freshmen.

Soldas harbored a grudge against Jin for dragging him into this mess and then betraying him, and this time he was determined to make the Golden Merchant Guild bleed a fortune.

In recent years, a considerable number of graduates from the Royal Capital Academy have gone on to join the Golden Merchant Guild.

This is because the Royal Palace and the Papacy are nearing capacity, making the Golden Merchant Guild a better option; otherwise, it certainly wouldn't be the first choice for graduating students.

There are three days left until the entrance exam.

The Royal Capital Academy issued another announcement, stating that this entrance trial is of great importance and that a mysterious treasure has appeared. Therefore, the trial is not only open to students from the mainland, but also to graduates of the Royal Capital Academy who can return to the school to participate in this trial, with the age limit still limited to under thirty.

The number of people signing up has increased again.

Soldas looked at the familiar names on the list and a triumphant smile spread across his face.

Inside the royal palace.

"Are you crazy? That trial must be far more difficult than the entrance trial back then, and even more dangerous than the graduation trial. Aren't you afraid of dying in it?" the Queen exclaimed.

The Third Prince, seated below, remained calm: "The Dean sent me a letter beforehand, saying that the graduates will have teleportation scrolls. If we encounter danger, we can activate the scrolls to escape the secret realm. There are so many people who want to compete for the artifact, we can't just sit here and wait to die. Moreover, he also said that there are things in the secret realm that are even more extraordinary than the artifact, and I don't trust anyone else."

Queen: "That holy son..."

The third prince's face was gloomy, but he said, "There's no rush. He's inextricably linked to the demons. What's wrong with letting him be smug for a while longer?"

He had already made up his mind to go to the secret realm, but he didn't know what the thing that Soldars had mentioned, which was even more powerful than a divine artifact, was.

After leaving the Queen's palace, the third prince saw two figures in the garden outside. He recognized one of them immediately; it was his younger brother who had taken away the power of acting as regent that should have been his.

He narrowed his eyes and hid behind the bushes.

The other figure was taller than Ethan; it was the astrologer specially appointed by the Papacy. As the sky darkened, the Third Prince hid in a corner, his figure blending perfectly into the darkness.

There were few people in the garden, and the faint sound of two people talking could be heard.

"When will Father wake up? I want to go back to school." Ethan's voice was filled with obvious frustration.

The other person said calmly, "Don't rush, it won't be that fast. We haven't found the real culprit behind the curse on him yet, and if he wakes up so quickly, I'll lose a few days' worth of payment."

The little prince was stunned, his voice filled with disbelief: "You offer me a reward?"

"His Holiness the Pope gave me this price, calculated by the day, so it'll have to take a while." The astrologer's voice was sleazy and didn't sound like a respectable person, but rather like a conman.

"Aren't you a ninth-level astrologer? How come you're short of money?" Ethan's eyes widened. "How much money do you need? I'll have him give it to you when Father wakes up."

Lortheran chuckled, his gaze subtly sweeping over a bush, and raised his voice slightly: "That won't do, Your Highness. Your father can be king, do you think I can't?"

Ethan took a few steps back in fright: "What..."

"My face looks quite like your royal family's. When the time comes, I'll have His Holiness the Pope arrange an identity for me, kill all of you legitimate princes, and then create momentum for me. With the Pope's support, and since I'm also called Lortheran, I won't need to change my name after I ascend the throne."

The little prince looked at Lortheran in horror, about to say something, when he heard a noise and turned his head sharply: "Who's there!"

But all they saw was a blurry figure darting past.

"I'll go and get the guards to arrest him." Ethan frowned, his face turning cold, and a semblance of authority appeared in his eyes.

Lortheran glanced at him, then suddenly laughed: "No need."

"That's your good third brother."

Ethan's pupils contracted, and he hurriedly said, "Then everything you just said was heard? Third Brother will definitely misunderstand. I'll go and explain to him..."

If Third Brother really arrests the ancestor, then we're truly doomed.

Lortheran shook his head and sighed, "Even if they don't have the same father, they received similar educations, so how come they produced so many idiots?"

"Could it really be a problem with my bloodline?" Lortheran muttered.

Seeing that Lortheran didn't move, Ethan didn't dare to move either, and stood there anxiously, wringing his hands.

Lortheran looked up at the night sky; the stars were twinkling, making it an excellent time for stargazing.

He acted as if nothing had happened and asked Ethan if he wanted to have an astrological reading with him.

Ethan was still grappling with what had just happened. Hearing this, he paused for a moment, but still nodded in agreement. Because of Lortheran's public identity, he knew that many people in the palace wanted Lortheran dead.

Following his ancestors is the safest option for him.

On the other side, the third prince fled in panic, breaking out in a cold sweat. Then, a gust of wind swept over him, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

...It's not a rumor, it's not a rumor!

The Pope really wants to replace the Lortheran royal family with new people!

His hands and feet were severely numb, and he was completely at a loss. He had only thought about slandering the Pope and the Church, sowing discord between the nobles and the Church, and inciting conflict between them, but he had never thought about what to do if this were true.

Upon seeing their prince's distraught figure, his subordinates hurriedly went to greet him: "Your Highness, are you going back?"

The third prince woke up with a start and waved his hand, saying, "Let's go back first."

He sat in the carriage, a whip in his hand, and leaned back against the headboard with his eyes closed.

His heart was pounding. The words he had heard tonight kept replaying in his mind. He was sweating profusely, and a faint sense of regret began to creep into his heart.

If I had known, I wouldn't have cursed my father. This time, I've probably given that Pope a perfect opportunity!

Prince Garcia has become the Pope's lackey. Ethan is useless. I heard that the astrologer loiters around the study every day. I'm afraid Ethan has been completely fooled and lost his way. All official duties have fallen into the hands of that despicable astrologer.

Because of her behavior that day, the Queen has been feigning illness and staying home to avoid suspicion.

Most of those who supported them in the Elder Council have already been ousted.

For nearly half a month, the curse has only gotten worse. The astrologers have made no new progress, and their original plan has been delayed. If this continues, Father may never wake up.

At this moment, the Third Prince was filled with remorse and could only think of rushing back to his mansion to contact the Golden Merchant Guild and ask them to lift the curse.

The capital city remains bustling, and due to the influx of a large number of outsiders, patrols have clearly been intensified over the past ten days.

Before the third prince even returned to his palace, he heard the commotion.

He frowned, and before he could ask anything, he heard his subordinate's panicked voice: "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The Prince's residence is on fire!"

"What!--"

The third prince has his own independent palace and is the first prince to be allowed to leave the palace. No wonder he was so confident that he could take charge of government affairs.

Now, his mansion was engulfed in flames. In the late winter and early spring, the air was frighteningly cold and the heat in front of him was terrifying. His servants were busy fighting the fire, while he stood blankly across the street.

A duke from the neighboring mansion had always been at odds with him. With the palace on fire, his ducal mansion was bound to be affected. The short, stout duke stood not far away and sneered, "Who is the Third Prince trying to impress with this?"

The third prince's facial muscles twitched a few times. He turned his head and stared coldly at the duke.

The Duke stared back without fear. He was a staunch royalist. The expressions of the Third Prince and the Queen that day clearly showed something was amiss. It was remarkable that the two of them, who were usually good at pretending, couldn't hide their expressions in the hall that day.

This street was inhabited by royalty and nobility, and soon everyone came out onto the street, pointing and commenting on the burning palace.

The third prince looked extremely ugly. He even wanted to hide back in the carriage rather than have so many people watching his humiliation.

Just then, a large cloud of black mist suddenly spewed out from the flames that were about to go out.

Everyone saw it, and even the third prince stared in astonishment at the strange black mist.

A crimson light shimmered in the black mist.

What is that?

The nobles looked on in bewilderment at the black mist that appeared above the burning building.

"bite--"

A crisp sound suddenly rang out, spreading throughout the entire capital. The sound originated from overhead, and for a moment, not only the nobles watching the commotion on the street, but also everyone else walking on the streets of the capital couldn't help but look up.

What came into view was a huge golden magic circle, floating above the capital and spinning rapidly. The runes on it became afterimages as it spun at high speed, with only the bow and arrow symbol in the center clearly visible.

The magic circle covering the entire capital descended with a beam of light, dispersing the black mist above the palace, amidst the bewildered and uncertain gazes of everyone.

The piercing screams of animals being burned rang out from the black mist, extremely unpleasant to hear.

Drops of foul-smelling blood burst forth from the black mist, falling into the burning building and intensifying the flames.

The third prince suddenly remembered something, and his face turned deathly pale.

The cursed object was hidden in the king's study, but he had already overseen its destruction. How could there be any remnants?!

But the aura emanating from that thing was unmistakably that of a demon.

"Clop clop clop," the sound of horses galloping through the street grew louder as it approached. The nobles who had come to watch the spectacle were now hiding inside the gates, peeking out with their heads sticking out.

Only the short, stout duke remained standing at the doorway, looking up at the magic circle, which gradually disappeared after killing what was in the black mist.

"The Papacy's Execution Division is here. Seize them!"

The young man at the head of the group shouted loudly. He had white hair that flew wildly in the wind, wore a dark blue uniform with a fur collar on one side of his coat, reined in his horse with one hand, black gloves covered his hands, and he held a badge in his hand.

What catches the eye is that his face is covered with a white mask without any gaps.

Only on his forehead was there a bow and arrow symbol, proving that he was a member of the Papacy.

The group of men he brought, all dressed in uniform, surrounded the third prince. They all had their swords drawn and were pointing them directly at the esteemed third prince.

The masked youth had a clear, melodious voice and a tall, slender figure. He sat upright on his horse, looking down at the world. The smooth mask completely covered his face, making people wonder how he could see and breathe.

"Third Prince, how come there are traces of demonic creatures in your residence, and they even triggered the Guardian Capital's magic array?"

His voice carried a strange chuckle: "I'll trouble you to go with the Execution Department."

Golden chains were fastened to the third prince without warning. A spell of the same color flashed by. The third prince's eyes widened, his eyeballs almost bulging out. He no longer cared about his image and opened his mouth to argue, but nothing came out of his throat.

The masked youth raised his hand: "Take him away."

The nobles along the entire street witnessed this scene. The short, stout duke, who had initially been gloating, lost his gloating expression upon hearing that the Weidu Grand Array had been triggered, and his eyes filled with rage as he looked at the Third Prince.

This bastard, you're keeping a monster in your house, aren't you? Wouldn't it be easy to frame him then?

If the monster goes out of control, wouldn't his life be in danger?

The news of the third prince's possession of demonic creatures spread throughout the capital overnight and quickly reached the palace. Upon hearing this, the queen was so enraged that she fainted.

Lortheran led Ethan to the astrological altar in the palace, looked down at the stars reflected on the crystal altar, pointed to a certain spot, and smiled meaningfully, "The small stars around the King Star represent you, understand?"

The little prince leaned closer and nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

The finger then pointed to one of the particularly dim, almost invisible stars.

"This is your dear third brother, he's dying."

Ethan's eyes widened: "Are you playing a trick on me?" Third Brother even overheard their conversation tonight!

No sooner had he finished speaking than his servant came running up breathlessly, stopped behind them, knelt on the ground without daring to raise his head, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, the Third Prince has been arrested by the Execution Department for possessing demonic creatures."

The little prince slowly turned his head and stared blankly at his servant, as if he had heard something unbelievable.

Lortheran's voice rang out from the side: "Do you know why astrologers are so rare?"

"Seeing through the future and avoiding the present, compared to some vague and ethereal artifact, astrologers are the ones who can truly predict and change the future."

With the death of the god of fate, astrologers gradually declined, and the rules no longer allowed humans to arbitrarily change their fate. Many astrologers did not live to middle age.

Lower-ranking astrologers can only predict major events. For example, the astrologers of the High Papacy once predicted the appearance of a hero based on astrological signs.

Lortheran once saw a strange constellation.

At dawn, when the stars are about to disappear, a timeline disorder occurs, and the position of the stars' shift corresponds to events many years in the future.

His own Hero Star appeared three hundred years later.

The surrounding stars appeared and disappeared, forming an image that he could not correctly deduce no matter how hard he racked his brains.

Although he has long forgotten what that constellation looked like, it seems that his hard work has been carried on.

Veris's astrological abilities were indeed superior to his, but his luck was far beyond Veris's.

He always managed to stumble upon celestial phenomena that even Veris struggled to find.

Veris always badmouthed him, saying he got lucky.

Hehe, otherwise how could he be the first generation of hero?

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Author's Note: Lortheran has incredibly good luck.

Even stronger than Arnold

A super overpowered protagonist who can stumble upon some peerless magical artifact just by tripping on the road (?).