Chapter 122
Arnold felt as if his mind was a swamp, making it difficult to think, but he could see a line of large words flying back and forth in his mind—His Holiness the Pope!
He was stunned, but Veris got angry and raised his arm to elbow the person on top of him. Sylvain grunted, knowing he had done something wrong, straightened up, and silently took two steps back.
Veris straightened up, straightened his elaborate clothes, and noticed that a few more beads had fallen off and were rolling around on the ground. He glared at Sylvain again.
Sylvain bent down to pick up the beads that had fallen from his belt.
At that moment, Arnold seemed to wake from a dream, rushed out the door, and ran faster than a rabbit, shouting, "I'm sorry, I've come to the wrong place!"
Veris's words of explanation stuck in his throat.
With the allotted time running out, Sylvain silently put the bead he had picked up back onto his belt and even wisely cast a small magic circle around it.
Veris reached out to pinch him, only to find that although the Holy Son's robes were simpler than his own clothes, they were still not as easy to pinch as usual.
So she glared at him again and warned, "Don't cause me any trouble later."
Sylvain nodded obediently.
Then they put the papal crown on his head.
The left hall has a passage leading to the central hall, but the right hall does not. This is because the right hall is generally reserved for people of higher status, and only one entrance is allowed; no other entrances are permitted.
Veris led the obedient Sylvain out of the right sanctuary and into the central sanctuary. In the passageway from the central sanctuary to the front hall of the Great Hall, there were many servants, most of whom were the king's secretaries who could participate in politics.
Upon discovering the Pope's arrival, these people quickly stepped aside, lowered their heads, and dared not look around.
However, they did not look around, but they could hear the Pope reprimanding the Holy Son. Although the words were reprimanding, the tone was not stern, but more like an admonition.
Many ministers were already standing in the front hall, and the archbishops were also dressed in their finest attire. Today, in addition to the royal historian, Archbishop Granvar was also responsible for recording this scene.
With His Holiness the Pope presiding and the Holy Son crowned, Lortheran, who announced the appointment of Arnold as the kingdom's first knight, naturally sat on the throne, wearing a red cloak and a crown, and smiled as Veris, whose attire was even more elaborate than his, walked out from the back hall.
Inside the main hall, a large group of people bowed and greeted the guests.
His Holiness the Pope simply waved his hand, and they felt an invisible force lift them up. They glanced cautiously at the stage and then quickly lowered their heads.
Since there was a historian recording things, Veris and Lortheran were both very composed, speaking in formal, official tones, showing no sign of their private familiarity.
When Veris arrived, Copperfield also presented him with the scepter, which symbolized papal authority.
He took the scepter and didn't say much. In the Great Hall, besides the nobles, there was also the royal orchestra playing music. Lortheran sat down again, standing on the right side. Sylvain was two steps behind him. The secretary stood behind Sylvain, carrying a tray containing the headdress that would be presented at the coronation.
As the music moved into the next chapter, the Pope's young voice resounded throughout the entire Great Hall. His tone was calm as he held the pale gold scepter. He first read out the background of today's coronation ceremony, which was probably the same as before: Arnold had rendered meritorious service to the kingdom and its people by defeating the Demon King, and was hereby crowned as the kingdom's first knight.
The instruments played in unison, and Arnold, after fleeing the right wing in disarray, encountered the king's secretary who had come to find him and was taken to the left wing.
When His Holiness the Pope went to the nave, Arnold was led to wait outside the main hall.
While His Holiness the Pope was reciting his sermon in the Great Hall, Arnold would be waiting inside the door.
After the words of crowning Arnold as the Kingdom's First Knight were spoken, the music became even more stirring, and Veris's familiar yet inexplicably authoritative voice rang out: "Please, Arnold, the Kingdom's First Knight, step forward to receive the coronation of the Holy Son."
"Then, knight, please take your oath."
Arnold was nervous, but when he met the gaze of the Holy Son, fear overwhelmed his nervousness. He swallowed hard, then steadily stepped forward to meet the gazes of the several supreme rulers of Icarus above him, and stood on the stage.
Fortunately, although Sylvain didn't like him, he still placed the laurel wreath on his head and then stepped aside.
Meanwhile, Veris was still recounting Arnold's achievements, which were embellished by his courtiers, so much so that Arnold was unaware that the Pope was referring to him.
The coronation of the Son of God is followed by the oath-taking ceremony.
Arnold had already memorized the oath perfectly, and with Sylvain stepping back to the other side, he was no longer so nervous. When he looked up, he met the elaborate and holy papal robes, and then Veris's calm and unwavering eyes. That nervousness instantly returned, even more so than before.
“Knight, please swear an oath,” Veris said again, repeating the order.
Arnold suddenly snapped back to reality.
He immediately knelt on one knee, expressing his submission and loyalty to the Pope, the Church, and the King who sat on the throne to the side of the Pope.
"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I swear to uphold the Holy Law, maintain the rule of Lortheran, follow the teachings of the Church, serve the supreme God of love and justice throughout my life, guard the integrity of the land with the sword, share the fortunes and misfortunes with my subjects, and build a prosperous capital together."
"Today, by the grace of God and the people, I am crowned, and I vow to uphold this oath until death. May the Holy Spirit bear witness to my faithfulness, and may the Kingdom forever be glorious because of my loyalty!"
After speaking at length, Arnold's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and his heart was pounding like a drum.
And the one closest to him was naturally Veris.
The Pope's scepter struck the carpet, and his voice rang out from above: "The Holy Spirit will protect you."
After the oath was taken, Prince Garcia bestowed upon the knight the Imperial Sword, followed by another long string of blessings.
After Prince Garcia, there was Fekris, a highly respected master of the dwarves and one of the archbishops, and Finney, the elder of the elves and one of the archbishops. One held a small scale, and the other held the Codex of Lortheran. These were the items that Arnold needed to accept.
Both scales and legal codes symbolize fairness and justice.
The expressions of the nobles and royalty watching the ceremony changed slightly; it seemed that this brave man was not the Earl of Lamb from the previous generation.
Moreover... after glancing at the archbishops dressed in church robes, the nobles quickly made up their minds.
But they only had some ulterior motives. After seeing, no, hearing the Pope's young and youthful voice, all their worries vanished.
"Heh heh heh, His Holiness the Pope can outlive them, why should they bother with this thankless task?" These nobles thought to themselves, then considered turning back to send away those radical and disdainful civil officials who came to visit them. "His Holiness the Pope isn't dead yet, and they're already jumping up and down like this. The last one to act like this was the Golden Merchant Guild."
When Arnold, fully armored, finally stood up, he was a little dizzy. The final part was the king's admonition, which was quick, and Lortheran didn't say much.
After the king's admonition, Knight Arnold was to be pulled into the carriage and, together with his companions, tour the capital city of Lortheran before heading to the Royal Academy to thank their teachers.
After all that work, the whole day was over.
As Arnold was escorted away by a crowd, only the archbishops, popes, holy sons, kings, crown princes, historians, and secretaries remained in the Great Hall, along with Prince Garcia who had accompanied him on the procession.
The Royal Orchestra also quietly left the stage.
There were five secretaries, who now stood in a row beside the throne, and Veris gestured to Sylvain to choose a new place to stand with him, giving up the central position.
Seeing that Sylvain seemed unresponsive, Veris glared at him and reached out to pull him away.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Lortheran couldn't help but glance at Sylvain.
The historian is here; Sylvain did this on purpose, didn't he?
If Sylvain doesn't get a beating when he gets back, he'll have to write his name Lortheran backwards and change it back to Martin tomorrow!
Lortheran clicked his tongue inwardly, while the historian, who was writing furiously, also narrowed his eyes in shock, but his hands did not falter in the slightest. There were more than one historian; seven or eight stood on both sides, determined to record the scene and the words and actions of the powerful figures. In addition, there were palace servants in the corner of the hall, and not just palace servants, but also some painters, who were there to depict the scene.
These minor details were easily overlooked, and the four archbishops looked as if they were already used to them.
Crown Prince Ethan was distracted and didn't notice.
Once the new positions were adjusted, Lortheran stood up, and a secretary carrying a tray stepped forward beside him.
“Crown Prince Ethan,” Lortheran said sternly.
Ethan's feeling grew stronger and stronger. He shuddered, but still walked steadily to about two meters in front of Lortheran and bowed.
What happened next caught everyone off guard, including Ethan himself, except for Veris and other Lortheran secretaries who already knew the inside story and the indifferent Sylvain.
At the coronation ceremony conferring the title of First Knight of the Kingdom, His Majesty Lortheran VIII announced his abdication.
The historian who recorded the events was truly terrified, his eyes widening in horror, and his wrists trembled slightly. Fortunately, the handwriting was still neat enough.
Ethan was also deeply moved. Although he had witnessed Lortheran write the abdication edict last night, he never imagined that this day would come so quickly.
He even felt that the ink on the abdication edict was not yet completely dry.
However, with the historians present, and the Pope and the archbishops as witnesses, Ethan could only swallow his panic and maintain a composed demeanor as he respectfully accepted Lortheran's abdication edict.
From sixteen to twenty-three, Ethan was no longer the impetuous and thoughtful little prince he once was. Now that day had come, he could only accept it and think about how he could live up to the expectations of his late king and the hard work of his late father.
Ethan accepted the abdication edict, and Lortheran seemed relieved. He then pulled Ethan aside and said a few more earnest words before announcing that everyone else could leave, and that he would discuss the kingdom's affairs with the Pope's son.
Veris, of course, first went to change out of his elaborate clothes, and then went to the King's study in Lortheran.
With the change of monarchy, Lortheran had many things to do, so he only briefly discussed the handover of the church with Veris after his abdication. After that, Veris took Sylvain and returned home.
They arrived in a grand procession, and their departure was the focus of everyone's attention.
Even without the archbishops clearing the way, guards still maintained order on both sides of the road. Everyone craned their necks, watching the Pope's carriage pass by, their hearts filled with excitement. This time, they figured they would be providing novelists with a whole lot of material.
Veris started from the main square of the Papacy today, and of course, he will return to the main square as well.
His statue still stands, its eyes, devoid of joy or sorrow, gazing upon the capital of Lortheran.
When they set off, the guards cleared the area, but on the way back, there were not so many taboos. The crowds followed the Pope's carriage all the way to the main square. Although there were still guards blocking the way, they could still see the Pope's heroic figure from afar.
Sure enough, they saw the curtain of the carriage lifted, the young priest brought over a ladder, and a white-haired young man in a white and gold robe stepped down from the carriage. Although his features were not very clear from the distance, he was obviously a very handsome man.
The excited discussions among the crowd did not affect Veris.
Sylvain also got off the car. He turned around, took Sylvain's hand, and walked together into the cathedral opposite the main square.
Almost all the priests, cardinals, and bishops from the Papacy were present. The church had been cleared out. The Pope's statue stood in the main square, but a statue of the God of Love stood inside the church.
The candlelight flickered above the pool.
Veris had not worshipped his mother goddess so solemnly for many years.
Yes, worship.
Although the form has changed drastically three hundred years later and even has a new definition, such a procedure was a genuine sacrificial ceremony in the past.
With a calm expression, he pulled Sylvain along and together they burned three prayer sheets as the first ritual of the holy ceremony.
The subsequent holy prayer and announcement ceremonies were also completed in the solemn and majestic cathedral.
Sylvain seemed to sense something and obediently did as he was told.
After the elaborate ceremony was completed, the sky outside was already getting dark, and the bishops hesitated whether to activate the magic circle for the encounter.
The moment the proclamation ended, the towering statue of Cupid suddenly shone with golden light.
All the priests, bishops, and pastors in the cathedral were shocked and bowed their heads to the ground in worship.
Veris pulled Sylvain to his feet, looking at the statue of Cupid with his bow drawn, the golden light of which finally converged on the arrow.
The cathedral's entrance was very high, so the believers who were watching from afar outside the main square also noticed the strange phenomenon. Some knelt down in worship, while others were stunned into place. Everyone saw the long arrow that was radiating brilliant light.
Veris also raised his head, his expression shifting slightly. Just when everyone thought that the arrow seemed to have come alive and was about to be shot, His Holiness the Pope coldly and ruthlessly waved his hand, scattering the light.
Church staff: "..."
The believers outside, expecting a miracle: "!!"
However, the light, though scattered, did not disappear; instead, it gathered again into a river after dispersing and flew towards Veris.
Veris raised his hand and caught the stream of light. Looking down, his expression relaxed considerably.
In the eyes of other priests, bishops, and other pastors who had rekindled their hope, all the light was once again ruthlessly extinguished.
Then he turned around and said kindly, "Thank you all for your hard work today. Let's tidy up the church and reopen it to the public."
Upon hearing this, the disappointed crowd immediately bowed and agreed, watching as His Holiness the Pope and His Son walked hand in hand into the depths of the Papacy.
It's rare for Cupid to be lucid, but this time he's here to offer advice to Veris.
During that brief contact with the flowing light, time was actually slowed down, and Veris's soul sank into the realm of the gods.
The god of love said that He had a brilliant plan, which was for Veris and Sylvain to share a divine status—of course, Veris's divine status was no longer that of a simple god of love; his divine status was now the highest in the Icarus pantheon.
After all, he ascended to the position by stepping on the divine status of the other six gods, and he also had the blessing of three hundred years of faith and merit.
Sylvain's instability stemmed from the collapse of the Icarus pantheon and the prelude to a changing era. His divine status was inherently linked to death, and the added factor of his mental turmoil exacerbated his condition, leading to increasingly severe symptoms.
The god of love allowed Veris and Sylvain to share a divine status, not merely to facilitate the stability of Sylvain's divine status.
He urged Veris to devour the immense divine power of Sylvan, and muttered that Veris had been indifferent to demonic power for three hundred years, which was too much to bear.
Veris couldn't help but argue with Cupid for a few more minutes. Cupid scoffed and said, "The biggest advantage isn't that. Sylvan is from the Cosmic Pantheon and just accidentally ended up in Icarus. Wait... I don't know how long Icarus will exist. You and Sylvan share a divine title. First, you can passively acquire the divine power of his divine title. Second, you are no longer a deity of the Icarus Pantheon, but belong to the Cosmic Pantheon."
"You don't need to worry about those old things in the Cosmic Pantheon. They're long gone and dead. Your achievements will certainly not let you down. When the time comes, you'll use Sylvain's divine status to break into the Cosmic Pantheon and become the top-level chief god in no time."
"As for Sylvain, I don't think he'll have any objections."
In short, it was a very worthwhile deal for Veris.
Veris lowered his eyes and pondered for a long time before saying, "I have no interest in becoming a god. A god with his own joys and sorrows would be a disaster for mankind."
After listening, Cupid remained silent for a while, but He didn't pay much attention. He was already a remnant consciousness, so how could He possibly tell the child what to do?
He then said, “Then you make the decision yourself. The fifty-year catastrophe is probably not that serious anymore. Sylvain will wake up one day.”
Sylvain may regain his memory tomorrow, or it may take many years. Time is both the most valuable and the least valuable thing to Veris.
He smiled, which angered the Mother Goddess again, and she kicked him out of the divine realm.
To outsiders, it seemed like only a moment had passed.
But how could Sylvain not see? He silently followed Veris into the depths of the Papacy, where the priests were all in the church ahead, so there was no one around.
“Veris,” he called softly.
Veris turned his head to look at him.
What if I never turn back to normal?
Veris replied without hesitation, "But you are Sylvain."
He was deeply devoted to his former best friend Sylvain and also felt pity for his former adopted son. If he still couldn't see his own heart after all these years, then all the love god's divine status he had inherited over the past few centuries would have been wasted.
No matter what kind of Sylvain he was, he was still just one person to him.
Veris gripped his cold hand and said firmly, "All you need to know is that you are Sylvain, and that's enough."
Sylvain's stubbornness was amplified in this life; perhaps this was his true nature. But for Veris, he loved Sylvain no matter what he was like.
Compared to his stubbornness, how much better was his stubbornness over the past three hundred years than Sylvain's?
So Veris smiled calmly, his eyes serene: "Love is irrational. You don't need to define yourself by a certain period of time. To me, I love you no matter what you are like."
After thinking for a moment, he cautiously added, "And you're not allowed to ask who you like more."
Sylvain felt his icy body melt away as his burning hand gripped his, his heart pounding like a drum. It was as if he had returned to many years ago, to the first time he saw Veris, to the boy's bright, shining eyes, a brilliance unseen in the dark, desolate hell.
His restless soul, which had been agitated for days, miraculously calmed down, and although his fingers were still trembling slightly, he gripped Veris's hand tightly in return.
Those words that were hard to say were fully expressed in that excessively forceful grip.
-
A change of monarchy is usually a major upheaval, but under Lortheran's manipulation, the transition of power was remarkably smooth.
With the full support of the church, Ethan became the new king.
After completing his remaining studies at the Royal Academy, Knight Arnold was appointed as the district administrator of District 23. He brought his good friends with him. Except for Carlo, who was going back to the Elf Forest to inherit the Elf King, the others, Allen, Astor, and Murphy, all followed him to District 23 to take up their posts.
District 23, formerly known as Demon King's Forest.
After the great battle that day, the Demon King's Abyss was reduced to ruins. It was still somewhat presentable thanks to the restoration by the Veris Magic Circle. The Demon King's Palace inside had been completely destroyed, and the once bustling square was nowhere to be seen. Only the stone tablets protruding from the ground still bore the remnants of the spell used by Count Lamb to seal the Demon King.
The Grand Protector Florideon and the Seventh Protector were lucky to survive. Because some demons still remained in District 23, Florideon quickly defected to the enemy after recovering from his injuries—how can this be considered defection? The Old Demon King was the first to defect!
With Florin, the former great protector, still around, and the demon race's power waning, the other demons, though resentful, no longer dared to act as recklessly as before.
The moment Arnold stepped into District 23, all the demons thought the old Demon King had appeared to them.
The master in the bloodline reappeared, and Arnold, as the master himself, was jolted, as if his head had been hit by a heavy hammer.
He recalled the scene of having to go to the Papacy to say goodbye to His Holiness the Pope before heading to District 23.
The bard who once roamed freely and mysteriously in Albion was sitting at the head of the table, with the Holy Son standing beside him. The bard smiled at him.
He said he would understand the late King's good intentions once he went to District Twenty-Three.
Arnold wanted to know where the late King had gone, since the late King was supposedly his father.
After thinking for a moment, Veris told him the secret of the Earl of Lamb's mansion. Arnold was distraught for a long time after hearing it, but eventually he cheered up.
Hearing that the young Earl Lamb would soon be going to the palace to become the royal astrologer, he proposed that the gifts bestowed upon him by the late King be given to the young Earl Lamb.
Veris couldn't understand what he was saying. He looked at Arnold strangely and said, "You two are saying exactly the same thing."
Arnold was stunned, then saw Veris wave his hand: "Earl Lamb is willing to give you all his wealth."
In short, the matter was eventually dropped.
When Arnold arrived in District 23 and discovered the control over demons in his bloodline, he felt dizzy and disoriented; he realized he was indeed half a demon.
However, after a few days of depression, Arnold discovered the benefits: the originally unruly demons became exceptionally docile because of his bloodline's suppression.
District 23 is in dire need of reconstruction, and the weather isn't great either, so Arnold still has a lot to do.
However, he had already made up his mind not to let down his title as the first knight, and was eager to make a big splash. He was young and had endless courage to try and fail.
The capital of Lortheran.
After Lortheran abdicated, he took the dragon and Hill, who couldn't speak yet and was working hard to build a new body for him, to play. Hill wanted to refuse, but the dragon used all its strength to pull him away.
Compared to Lortheran's decisive and uncompromising approach, His Majesty King Ethan's methods were much gentler, but he was no pushover either. He had experience in the military and had served as a minor official on the border. Prince Garcia also offered guidance on the intricacies of courtiers' dealings.
Perhaps it was his old obsession that led Ethan to promote folk novels after taking office, and the opening up of culture sparked another wave of enthusiasm.
Ethan even personally endorsed Griva, who wrote his first novel, showering him with praise.
It means that they didn't talk about the other co-author, or rather, they just vaguely glossed over it.
He was ignorant before, but doesn't he understand now? That's His Holiness the Pope!
The Pope, who reappeared before the world, stayed at the Papacy for quite some time, inseparable from Sylvain. Eventually, Sylvain even moved into the Pope's bedroom in a very open manner.
It was also a warm spring morning.
Sylvain opened his eyes. The person next to him was still asleep, his face turned to the side, his perfect profile hidden in the blankets.
He stared blankly at the ceiling, and as Veris rolled over, he casually scooped him into his arms.
The deep green color faded from his eyes, leaving only tranquility.
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Author's Note: There will probably be an epilogue chapter [Lower-eared rabbit head].
That concludes the main text! [Sprinkling flowers]
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