Chapter 119
As soon as he regained his footing, the elf Hill felt a chill down his back. He looked back inexplicably and saw nothing but ruins behind him, not a single living creature in sight.
Is it just my imagination?
He turned his head back and looked at several companions he hadn't seen in a long time. Even his usually calm and serious face couldn't help but show a smile.
The dragon was the fastest runner, howling and crying, grabbing Hill and wiping his snot and tears, saying he thought Hill was really dead.
Veris dusted off his clothes, looked up at Sylvain walking towards him, and smiled, "You've come."
The young man who had been staring at Hill with a sinister look just moments before immediately changed his tune, his eyes now fixed on Veris. He moved closer to him and whispered, "Is everything settled here?"
"certainly."
Veris glanced at the hero lying on the ground and continued, "Once the army arrives, we can take them back. Lortheran, who did you send to lead the army?"
Lortheran, who was left behind, was still in shock at how Sylvan, who had just been behind him, had teleported to Veris's side in an instant. Upon hearing this, he gave the name of Earl Reed, then scratched the back of his head and said, "Should we go back now? Hill's body is that of the Demon King, right? The royal capital's magic array will definitely detect it."
The dragon hugged Hill and howled for a while before finally realizing what was happening and asked Hill, "You're not going to live your whole life wearing Vesper's skin, are you?" It certainly didn't want to face Vesper's face every single day.
Hill shook his head, his face calm, with only a hint of a smile remaining in the corner of his eyes. He said, "My consciousness can't stay conscious for long. I'll have to rely on you guys from now on..." His voice grew softer and softer, and then his head lolled to the side and he fainted. Fortunately, Long Yan caught him in time.
Veris turned and quickly stepped forward, raising his hand to cast a magic circle that was engraved between Vesper's eyebrows. The small magic circle shrank repeatedly until it was only the size of a thumb, resembling a totem.
"What should we do with these people? I saw the Hero Star destroyed. Is my son alright?" Lortheran turned his head, looking at the rows of corpses, and finally his gaze fell on Arnold, who was lifeless.
Veris was still looking at Vesper, checking whether Hill's soul could hold out until the separation, when he heard this and said without turning his head, "Pack them all up and take them back. The others can stay here."
“Forget it, you stay here and guard them. There are still a few demons alive under the ruins. Your presence here will prevent them from crawling out to finish them off,” Veris hesitated for a moment before speaking.
Lortheran had no objections, and the dragon volunteered to come back and watch over the group with Lortheran after sending Veris and the others back.
At full speed, the dragon can return to the capital of Lor'theran in less than an hour.
Sylvain stared only at Veris, completely ignoring Arnold's face, which was blurred by blood. One demon was thrown onto the dragon's back, and Veris threw another Arnold on top. The two bodies were piled together like a sack of flour, but he didn't care and pulled Sylvain onto the dragon's back.
He could actually use the magic circle to go back, but he still needed to check on the state of the Demon King's Forest after the mutated demonic energy dissipated.
With only Lortheran left in the Demon King's Abyss, His Majesty the King didn't mind the dust all over the ground. He looked around and found that although the two stone tablets were stuck in the ground, they still had a corner sticking out. So he sat down on them, put his hands in his pockets, and pondered what to do next.
Veris took Arnold away; he can definitely be saved, or at worst, turned into an undead. But undead can't possess a body, so what will happen to Arnold's body? He can't just give it to Hill, can he?
The thought of Hill becoming his son sent a chill down Lortheran's spine. This was a damn ethical problem!
No, no, we absolutely cannot let Veris have such thoughts. After all, Veris has always been slow to grasp this area. For Veris, if something is useful, he'll use it; why worry about so much?
Veris must have other methods.
Lortheran quickly dismissed the thought and turned to observe Arnold's companions. He could tell that Veris had healed them, but only to remove the Ancestral Demon Curse that Vesper had unleashed in his final moments. Some of their external and internal injuries would have to be stabilized by the army doctors on the way back to the capital.
Although Veris could revive these people with a wave of his hand, he wouldn't do that. Again, why would he do that?
He's not their parent, so why did he have to do this?
Lortheran shook his head, muttering that Veris and Sylvain were actually the same, one cold on the outside but cold on the inside, the other warm on the outside but cold on the inside. However, the biggest difference between Veris and Sylvain was probably that his ideal was to ensure the continuation of Icarus's civilization, while Sylvain was probably content to stay by Veris's side.
His Majesty the King began to ponder some dangerous questions, such as Sylvain threatening suicide to force Veris to give up Icarus, or Veris having to choose between two extreme options, which was how he had read in those novels...
On the way back to the capital, Veris sneezed three times, which was unusual for him.
Sylvain looked at him with concern. Veris frowned and thought for less than three seconds before angrily saying, "It must be Lortheran who's insulting me!"
The dragon shook its head and shouted, "I think so too!" Although dragons don't often stab their brothers in the back, this is a day to be happy about. Veris wouldn't be angry at its agreement; at most, Lortheran would threaten it by not inviting it to dinner.
Sylvain, who had just been concerned, smiled almost imperceptibly after hearing this. He lowered his eyes and quietly stayed beside Veris.
Veris was flipping through an ancient book. His spatial magic circle connected his bedroom to his storeroom. Although he already had several plans in mind, Veris still wanted to find more ways, just in case.
The Royal Capital Magic Array is impartial and almost never lets any monsters escape. The only possibility is that it is in Veris's hands. He set up the Royal Capital Magic Array. Although many of Lortheran's confidants participated in the construction of the Royal Capital Magic Array to avoid suspicion, it would be too easy for Veris to cover it up after so many years of death.
Did the kings of past dynasties not know about this? Of course they did, but what could they do, or where could they find a magician stronger than Veris to tamper with the capital's magic array?
A few idiots were jumping up and down, and Veris wouldn't show any mercy. He wouldn't make an exception for Lortheran's sake; he'd just kick those idiots off the hook.
Back at the Grand Papacy, Veris directed a few junior priests to take Vesper and Arnold to an empty room. He then went back to his bedroom, picked through the display shelves, took a crystal ball, and went back to that room.
After locking himself in his room for five days, Veris finally opened the door. His exhaustion was evident in his eyes and brows. The lingering smell of blood in the room wafted out and was then dispersed by the breeze outside.
His exhaustion wasn't due to reviving Arnold or severing Hill from Vesper's soul, but simply because he hadn't slept for five days and was feeling a bit sleepy.
After forcing himself to stay awake and giving Sylvain a few instructions, Veris ran back to his bedroom to sleep.
The hero defeated the Demon King once again. This time, not only was the Demon King sealed away forever, but His Holiness the Pope also personally intervened to expel the demonic energy from the Demon King Forest. The royal army broke through the Demon King Forest and subjugated this far northern land. For a time, the whole country was overjoyed.
The name of the hero Arnold spread throughout the continent of Icarus overnight.
The new generation of novelists immediately had new material. Even though the story of the hero and the demon king was a tired trope, brainstorming always led to new ideas.
Arnold was placed in the same place where he had stayed when he first came to the Papacy a few years ago. When he awoke, he was in disbelief. He was certain that he was dead. Such a terrible and decisive destructive force—even if he had ten more years, he would not have been able to escape that terrible blow.
But how come he didn't die?
He stared blankly at the somewhat familiar rooftop, when suddenly he heard footsteps outside. The young pastor who was taking care of him was overjoyed to find that he had woken up. He chattered on and on about how he had been unconscious for half a month and had finally woken up. He said that even the doctor was starting to doubt his own judgment and was extremely anxious.
Arnold turned his head and met the young priest's gaze. Seeing the familiar pattern on the priest's robe, he suddenly realized that he was actually in the Papacy.
The young priest brought him a glass of water and helped him drink. Arnold felt pain all over his body, as if his bones had been broken. Listening to the young priest's rambling, he was still a little dazed, but he still caught the key words: "You said... His Holiness the Pope personally went to the Demon King's Forest?"
“Yes! Otherwise, how was the demonic energy in the Demon King Forest dispelled?” The young priest was not old, but he was very clever. Although he spoke quickly, he was clear and organized. “His Majesty the King went there in person. The Demon King Abyss was sealed into a forbidden area by His Holiness the Pope. From now on, there will be no more heroes. You are the last hero.”
Arnold nodded in a daze. So it was His Holiness the Pope who went there in person? No wonder he survived... After realizing something, Arnold's face became even more embarrassed, and his handsome face turned extremely red. Could he be the hero who died in his first battle with the Demon King?
Thinking of this, Arnold wanted to disappear into a crack in the ground. He could only comfort himself by thinking that only His Holiness the Pope knew about this. From the little priest's words, it seemed to everyone that he had successfully sealed the Demon King.
Fortunately, His Holiness the Pope was there. A bright light flashed in Arnold's eyes. It was a pity that he lost consciousness too quickly, otherwise he would have been able to see His Holiness the Pope's true face. That was His Holiness the Pope!
Having grown up listening to stories about His Holiness the Pope, Arnold's reverence for the Pope reached its peak at this moment.
The young priest brought him a healing potion and left in a hurry. Arnold was still lying in bed, savoring the moment, when he suddenly thought of his companions, and a look of worry flashed across his face. He wondered how they were doing.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before Astor and the others arrived to visit Arnold. As a descendant of the elven saints, Carlo recovered the fastest, followed by Astor, who was simply tough and had relatively minor injuries.
Seeing that his companions were all alright, Arnold breathed a huge sigh of relief. His companions also brought him some great news.
"His Majesty the King has decided to bestow upon you the title of the nation's First Knight," Murphy, usually so quiet, couldn't help but smile. "I heard that His Holiness the Pope himself will preside over the ceremony, and His Holiness the Holy Son will be crowning you. The esteemed archbishops will be the witnesses."
At this point, Murphy's voice suddenly lowered. Arnold didn't notice the oddness in his voice; he was completely stunned by the good news and asked incredulously several times, his face turning bright red again, this time with excitement.
“I…I want to visit His Holiness the Pope,” he said.
Murphy's expression became even stranger, and Carlo chimed in, "His Holiness the Pope does not receive anyone except His Holiness the Son, His Majesty the King, a few archbishops and the Crown Prince. He does not see anyone else."
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