Celias City.
Late at night.
Carolina sat on the ground in a daze. The tears at the corner of her eyes seemed to have not been wiped away for a long time. Her face was gloomy and lifeless.
She held her space ring tightly with both hands. The ring contained the head of the great dragon Nairíos.
For three days in a row, Carolina looked like she was out of her mind. It was as if her world had lost its color because of Nairíos' death. Bodinar and Sith did not expect this superior dragon to lose her composure like this. They did not even say the words they had prepared. This was because from the beginning to the end, Carolina only said to them faintly, "Please leave me alone for a while." Then, she ignored the sovereign of the Empire of Saint Reims and the first archmage.
The old emperor, who was well-versed in matters, naturally understood what was going on. He stopped his angry old friend and the two left Carolina in the courtyard.
Carolina was deeply immersed in her memories. She could not recover from the heart-wrenching grief. Until now, she was still unwilling to believe that the fellow she yearned for day and night had returned to the embrace of the Dragon God just like that.
The autumn wind of the night blew gently through her crimson skirt and swept up a few fallen leaves.
Carolina raised her head slightly and looked at the stars in the sky. Then, she slowly stood up.
Her pale face revealed a kind of softness that no one had ever seen before. Her long eyelashes fluttered gently. Tears streaked down her face silently. She suddenly opened her mouth and softly chanted in the unique tone of the dragon race.
"I hope
There is a star in the twilight.
It will always shine on you.
Even if darkness falls.
You will carry your sincere heart.
Alone on the road.
How far is the journey from home.
Darkness has fallen.
Believe, you will find the way home.
Darkness has fallen.
Now hope will never fade in your heart.
I hope
The shadow shrouding
Will never fade.
I hope
Your journey under your feet.
Towards the bright sun.
When the night passes.
May you rise to welcome the morning sun.
Darkness has fallen.
Believe, you will find the way home.
Darkness has fallen.
Now, I hope that your heart will never fade away … "
Carolina looked up at the twinkling stars in the sky that represented the Dragon God and sang softly. Her voice was long and gentle, carrying a dragon's roar. Her voice was like a slowly flowing stream, clear and gentle, spreading across the entire Xielias City.
When the passersby heard this faint yet clear voice, they all stopped in their tracks and looked at the Sisfel Palace that was built halfway up the mountain. The palace was even quieter.
Emperor Bodinar's eyes flickered as he sat on the supreme throne. The few important ministers in the conference hall looked around in surprise, but they didn't know where the singing came from.
Sighing softly, the old Emperor seemed to have thought of something, but he did not say anything. His frail body rose from the throne and looked in the direction of Carolina in silence.
Wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, Carolina stopped singing. She gently put the space ring back on her finger and slowly walked to the edge of the courtyard.
Seeing that there was no way out, she stepped into the void and gradually rose. It was as if there was an invisible staircase beneath her feet.
Gradually, she leaped over the short wall, followed by the entire palace and the city walls of Xielias.
Sith stood in his office at the top of the Mage Tower. He looked at Carolina's gradually drifting figure with his hands behind his back. He sighed like the old Emperor, turned around, and waved his wand to restore the protective magic array of the entire Sisfel Palace.
"My world will not allow you to disappear, no matter if the ending is perfect or not."
Carolina's resolute figure flew towards the direction of Sibor without hesitation.
She only had one last hope left in her heart, and that was to find out more about the relationship between her and Nairíos.
* * *
South of the Empire of Saint Reims.
County Cotterill.
"What brings you here?
My dear Creevey. "
The one who spoke was a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious clothes. His hair was faintly white, but he exuded an aura that was not inferior to that of a young man.
"Marquis Barton, the wind in Cotterill is always so warm. Thank you for your warm hospitality."
Creevey bowed respectfully, took off his soft hat with three stripes of ermine, and handed it to the servant beside him. He did not wait for Barton to speak and sat down casually.
Creevey, the Empire's Count, had a territory adjacent to Marquis Barton's County Cotterill.
He looked much younger than Barton, the age where he would have a bright future. His brown hair was neatly arranged at the back of his head, and a pair of vigilant and astute eyes were particularly bright. He had a goatee on his chin, and one could tell at a glance that he was a shrewd person.
To the southeast of the Empire of Saint Reims was County Cotterill, which bordered the Azura Forest where the trolls lived. It was a territory on the border of the Empire. Barton had become the only remaining Marquis in the Empire because of his outstanding contributions.
The Marquis did not have direct leadership over Count and other nobles. It was just an honorary title because of his outstanding contributions at the border.
The previous King of Saint-Rames personally nominated Barton as a Marquis to show the trust and encouragement of the country to this important general who guarded the border. But since the new King, Emperor Charnak, ascended to the throne, he had not nominated any more Marquis. Even the number of Count's was pitifully low.
At the same time, the Emperor did not seem to be too interested in the nobles having too much power. During the 30 years he ruled the Empire, the privileges of the nobles were reduced again and again. When the nobles suddenly came to their senses, they found that they were like frogs being boiled in warm water, unknowingly losing all kinds of privileges.
When they stood up one after another and wanted to unite to pressure the Emperor to regain these privileges, they were all killed in a bloody political purge.
Since then, no one in the Empire dared to go against Bodinar The Great.
As an old noble, Marquis Barton naturally understood the Emperor's intentions. So all these years, he had been quietly hiding in the southeast corner of the Empire.
His keen political sense saved his life. Otherwise, there would be no Marquis in the entire Empire of Saint Reims at this time. In the catastrophe that caused all the nobles to pale at the mention of it, and all the history books did not record it, just the title of Count alone was permanently removed from the great noble families!
Count Creevey could also be considered a cunning old fox. Like Barton, he used all kinds of despicable means and betrayal to keep his title.
Recently, news of the old Emperor's health had been constantly spreading, and it was confirmed over and over again. Although they did not understand why Great Swordmaster Emperor Charnak, who was known as the 'Sword Emperor', would have a problem with his body, these dormant poisonous scorpions all smelled the scent before the storm. They could not wait to start roping in and suppressing each other, just to be able to get a bigger share of the benefits when the storm arrived.
Just like the other great nobles of the Empire, when Creevey looked for Barton, the topic of discussion between the two was nothing more than benefits!
"Charnak is going to hold a birthday banquet?
How old is he this year?
Eighty-eight. Why is he holding a birthday banquet at this age that is not a round number? "
Barton sat on the armchair and stroked the ring in his hand. "Didn't you notice anything?"
"We are too far away from Sirius, and the news has spread here much later. From what I see, it's probably to promote his good-for-nothing son again," Creevey said bluntly as he crossed his legs.
Great Emperor Charnak had a son and a daughter, but the achievements of his forty-year-old son could not compare to his father at all. Objectively speaking, the word 'mediocre' was more appropriate.
There was only one focus in the battle between the nobles and the king — power.
Bodinar had continuously weakened the power of the nobles in Saint-reims, and this had already angered the nobles. What was the purpose of this abnormal birthday banquet?
"The invitation hasn't been sent. Hmph, I think his intentions are very clear."
Barton's eyes flickered with a cold glint. "Something big is probably going to happen. Do you have any other news?"
Creevey was obviously very interested when he heard this. He stroked his goatee and replied, "Victoria of Sibor, Jared of Klimt, Ursori of Neron, and … that Gatcharin who has never appeared in the north seemed to have received an invitation. That's why I came to ask you today. What is the meaning of this?"
"Don't be impatient. Have you heard of another piece of news?"
Marquis Barton's voice lowered.
"Speak."
"The emissary of Lembas has already entered Saint-reims."
"Lembas?
What are those lunatics from the Light Church doing here?!
What else can they do apart from inciting their believers to rebel? "
Creevey was very dissatisfied with the Light Church, so he could not help but grumble when he heard this news. However, this was just a squabble between old friends. He quickly regained his composure and asked tentatively, "Could it be … a Priest of Light?"
"It's good that you know. Don't spout nonsense."
Barton was very satisfied with Creevey's quick-wittedness. He nodded and continued, "The spies I left in Lembas did not get any more information. The only thing they know is that this matter was personally appointed by the Pope."
"Hmph, that old man has been building a good relationship with the Light Church for the past few years. It seems like he wants to use people when he needs them!"
Creevey leaned back a little, but he seemed to feel uncomfortable. He sat up straight again and asked with bright eyes, "Could it be … to treat something?"
"There are rumors that Charnak has not left the palace in the past three months. He has not even taken a step out of the Sefal Palace. What do you think?" Duke Barton's voice was cold.
"Then what's next?"
"The emissary of Lembas entered the Klim Forest by mistake and never came out."
"Kill them?
That's an emissary! "
"Remember, behind the glory, it's either vicissitudes or filth."
Duke Barton said emotionlessly.