Between the thrones.
"According to the covenant of the Red Blood and the Pure White Sword, you who wear the double-headed eagle crown are appointed as the new king of the Foresta Empire—"
"…Do you have the determination?"
Between the thrones, the white-haired old man looked sickly, yet he had an indescribable majesty.
He stared at his daughter in front of him. In those eyes, which were haggard due to illness, there was a hint of relief that was hard to conceal.
Whether it is his talent as a beastmaster or his ability as an emperor to govern the country, the current emperor of the empire can only be described as mediocre, or to put it bluntly, low.
Although he was not a tyrant, he was not much better either.
The consequence of this was that under his governance, the power of the royal family was increasingly reduced, and the national strength became increasingly weak and unstable.
Fortunately, he has a good daughter.
...
...
Ever since the dinner at the Borgia's house, the Holy Sword has once again been contracted across a thousand years.
Everyone already knows who will be the new emperor of the Foresta Empire.
The next moment.
Isadella's solemn oath echoed between the thrones.
"In accordance with the name of Fresberg and the ancient covenant—"
"It is also for the peace of the Western Continent and the people of the Empire."
"I swear to reign supreme."
This is a vow that spans thousands of years.
Thousands of years ago, she was the Knight King who carried everyone's expectations, but she eventually betrayed her original promise and dream.
In the fantasy zone, the empire became a country of the dead shrouded by the red moon.
She should have carried this sin and buried it along with her fantasy in the erosion of the corrective force of history.
But fortunately.
Someone corrected her.
Then, she was given a chance to start over.
The pure silver double-headed eagle crown sparkled brightly under the light of the magic lamp.
"In this way, the succession to the throne is complete..."
…
The ceremony of succession to the throne is different from the founding ceremony a thousand years ago.
One is a sacred text for all citizens of the empire, and the succession ceremony to the throne was kept simple due to the poor health of the late emperor.
This was a transfer of imperial power that took place within the throne room, and the witnesses were only the elders of the royal family, the messengers of the eight sworn families, and the descendants of the original Knights of the Round Table...
The ceremony was completed, and the former emperor was quickly sent back to his bedroom for treatment.
“What a nice beef smell.”
Walking out from between the thrones, Diris, who had been following Isadella throughout the entire process as an attendant, couldn't help but speak.
"His Majesty Tariq was worried that Your Majesty, the envoys, and the nobles who witnessed the succession ceremony to the throne would not have had a meal, so he specially arranged this banquet in the side palace."
Soon a waiter came forward to explain.
"We have specially invited several well-known chefs who have recently held discussions and exchanges in the imperial capital for this banquet. The theme is beef, and I believe it will satisfy your majesty."
Tariq von Fresberg.
In terms of seniority, he is Isadella's elder from several generations ago.
He is also the only surviving legend in the imperial family besides Isadella.
Similarly, she was also the teacher of the former Second Princess and now the Empress of the Empire.
Before Isadella herself really grew up, it was the old man who protected everything of the imperial royal family.
After hearing this answer, Isadella was slightly stunned.
Then he nodded to the waiter and said, "Thank you for your trouble, teacher. In that case, please lead me over."
The distance between the throne and the side palace was only a few hundred meters and was quickly crossed.
When Isadella pushed open the door to the side palace, what came into view were neatly laid out beef dishes.
In addition, there is a clear dividing line between the Oathed Families and the great nobles... and the descendants of the Knights of the Round Table.
"His Majesty."
When Isadella arrived, everyone present stood up to greet her.
No matter what he was thinking at the moment, whether it was loyalty to the royal family or the desire to kill the empress in front of him and replace her.
But at least on the surface, they all gave the new empress of the empire enough respect.
Not only because of her identity, but also because of Isadela's strength as a Holy Sword Contractor.
boom--
Faint sounds of gunfire were heard from the direction of the distant outer city.
The sound was very faint, but everyone present was an extraordinary person, so no one could fail to hear it clearly.
In an instant, a burst of heated discussions arose in the side palace.
Buzz——
The sound of the magic crystal vibrating was heard.
Diris's expression changed. He checked the voice transmission in the magic crystal, moved closer to Isadella, and whispered, "The activities of those secret cults have begun."
“Our people are carrying out the crackdown, but it will take time.”
"Also, there seems to be some movement that is beyond our observation."
"The only explanation for being able to completely bypass the Empire's surveillance network is that there are Legendaries among the infiltrators, or pseudo-Legendaries who were forcibly promoted by pollutants."
There is no way around it.
Whether it is the military, the command bureau, or the new Sword Wielder organization, the highest-level strongmen are all six-ringed.
A powerful person of legendary rank, no matter which force he is in, can be said to be the existence that can suppress the destiny of a country like a stabilizing force, and he will never be dispatched easily.
But for cults, this problem does not exist.
With the help of the power of faith, numerous sacrificial rituals, and the blessing of pollutants, it is not difficult to force a six-ring transcendent to the status of a legend in a short period of time.
Of course, this pseudo-legend that is instilled with the power of faith and promoted by means of forced growth is basically a disposable item that has overdrawn its potential.
But since they all believe in evil gods, those fanatics naturally won’t care about potential, the future, and the like.
However, in the side palace, Isadella did not pay too much attention to Diris's report.
She simply placed her white hand on her waist, on the ancient hilt of the holy sword.
The next moment.
Zheng——
The clear sound of the sword rang out, accompanied by the shining red-gold light of the holy sword.
The golden light, carrying with it a vast mystery, penetrated the dome of the side palace.
And in the area where the golden sword light passed.
A pitch-black beast transformed from a pitch-black shadow appeared in the rushing torrent of light particles.
Accompanied by a shrill cry, its wings flapped continuously and gradually faded into scattered fragments.
The sudden burst of pressure from the throne made everyone around feel like they were facing a formidable enemy.
Everyone saw it clearly at the moment when the power exploded just now.
It was a beast king of legendary rank.
He had been lurking in the shadows of the night, and suddenly attacked when Isadela and Diris were talking at their most relaxed moment, hoping to achieve his goal in one fell swoop.
However, in front of the fully liberated holy sword, this legendary beast king could not even survive for a moment before being directly annihilated into the most basic magic factor.
"As far as I know, there is only one legendary Nightcaller in the entire Western Continent."
"That is the Nightcaller King of the Lost Realm, who is involved with the Ancient God of Twilight and the Twilight Cult." "But - the reason why it was able to avoid my mental power and launch a surprise attack was because the Nightcaller King hid in your shadow, and out of respect for you, I never used my mental power to cover and explore that area."
Isadella's voice echoed in the silent palace.
Then, she fixed her sight on the old man with gray hair in the side palace.
"Although I had guessed it before, but——"
"Teacher Tariq, why?"
…
"It seems that those people's guesses were wrong."
"Your Highness, no, His Majesty returned to the current historical node from the fantasy belt, but not only did he not suffer any damage, but his throne was unstable—"
"Even the holy sword that should have been under the pressure of the correction force still maintains its peak state."
In the silence, Tariq, with white hair, spoke slowly in an old voice.
He looked down at Isadella, his most proud disciple, who was also highly expected by the entire royal family and himself and had the opportunity to revive the empire, and shook his head slightly.
"As for the reason——"
"If Your Majesty had not made a contract with the Holy Sword, then at least you could have left me a wish for the Holy Sword to recognize its master and for the mystery of the Holy Sword to extend my life."
"If the royal family had not broken with the Borgia family, then the life potion condensed by Guderian's legendary plant-type pet, the Rose Emperor, could have slowed down the decay of my body."
"But, Your Majesty, you wiped out my last hope with your own hands."
“In this world, everyone is striving to survive, and everyone wants to survive.”
"Even ants are greedy for life, let alone me."
"I'm not as talented as you and Mr. Char, nor as outstanding as you..."
"The boundaries of the throne are a chasm that I cannot cross even if I spend my entire life or hundreds of years."
"I only have two or three years left to live... Apart from accepting the deals made by those evil cults, obtaining those ownerless divinities, and embarking on the path to becoming a god, I have no other options."
"Is that so—"
After hearing the answer from the guardian of the imperial family, Isadella couldn't help but close her eyes slightly.
When she opened her eyes again, the fleeting look of loss no longer appeared in the eyes of the new empress.
Originally, there were still some fragments of divinity left when Char killed Zhu Yue... After he comes back, I can ask him to give you some -
Isadella did not say these words.
Because she knew that all this was already irreversible.
From the moment Tariq accepted the deal, there was no turning back.
As the new king of the empire, at this moment, he had no choice but to cut off everything with a sharp knife. There was no room for her to be weak.
Isadella tightened her grip on the hilt of the sword once again.
The magnificent holy sword shone again, and the golden light turned into a torrent of light that rushed straight into the sky.
However, at the same time.
Tariq suddenly picked up a wine glass from the dining table.
Then, it suddenly broke into pieces.
The Nightcaller King from before was just a means used in the deal he made with the cults to test how much strength Isadela still had after she was broken into pieces and returned from the Fantasy Belt, and whether she still had the complete qualifications for the throne.
Although according to the original plan, the legendary Nightcaller King could escape unscathed even if he was defeated, he was already dead at this moment.
Fortunately, the real trump card of the Golden Dawn organization has never been the Nightcaller King.
Rather, it is the descent of the Lord of Ashes.
Breaking the wine glass was exactly what he had agreed with the sacred skull relic, a signal to break the seal and start the descent of God.
The next moment.
boom--
A mystery that was not inferior to the Holy Sword and could even compete with it rose into the sky in an instant.
Along with it came the pitch-black sea of flames that seemed to swallow up all light.
The scorching black flames seemed to burn the entire side palace and the imperial capital to ashes.
And in that blazing sea of fire.
The black flame twisted and swirled.
Finally, it slowly converged into a blurry and huge shadow.
Even though it had not yet fully formed, this projection had already exuded a terrifying pressure, causing everyone present to frown.
Demigod
No, this has surpassed the level of ordinary demigods and thrones and is infinitely close to true gods.
This is...
Is that the legendary divine realm?
Tariq felt the projection behind him completely overshadowing the magnificent golden sword, with a huge momentum that seemed to engulf the world. His old heart couldn't help but feel excited and his emotions surged.
As long as I complete this transaction, I can also rely on the fragments of divinity I have obtained to step onto this long stairway to godhood.
Then, get rid of the mortal body and the limitations of human lifespan.
Become a truly supreme being like the Lord of Ashes, a great existence that will remain unchanged for eternity as long as there is faith.
Along with the fluctuation of the power of faith, the huge projection was completely condensed into substance.
Tariq discovered that in the entire side palace, whether it was other royal members, envoys of the Oath Family, or great nobles who were watching the ceremony.
Even Diris, who was standing behind Isadella, opened her mouth in disbelief when she saw the projection.
Is the incarnation of the Lord of Ashes really that terrifying?
But it is also true that for most of the people present, it is extremely difficult to see even a demigod and a throne, let alone the incarnation of a true God.
Most people's only knowledge of the throne was the fleeting glimpse of the Silver Witch Silvia at the Borgia family dinner.
With his heart pounding, Tariq bowed respectfully and spoke to the projection that had solidified behind him.
"The great Lord of Ashes—"
His withered arms suddenly spread out towards the beef dishes on the tables around him.
"According to the will of the holy relic you bestowed, I have made all the necessary ritual preparations to welcome your arrival."
However, the next moment.
Pitch-black flames shot up into the sky.
The burning sensation spread throughout his limbs and bones.
Tariq looked back in horror.
All that was seen was the young man's figure solidified in the surging sea of black flames.
Black hair, black eyes.
He has a handsome face with deep and distinct features.
Everyone present recognized the projection.
Whether it was the Borgia family's dinner party that had shocked the entire Western Continent, or Isadella's announcement of the king's wife in the parliament...
It is enough to make people throughout the empire remember this name.
Xia.Egut.
After seeing Tariq turn his head, the figure transformed by black flames took a look at the dazzling array of beef sauces and shook his head regretfully.
"Well prepared, but..."
“I don’t eat beef.”
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