Completion (5)
Chapter 314
To Alexander, the South was both his base and his homeland.
The citizens of the South always had to be prepared to protect the Empire—and indeed the world—from the Demonic Realm.
Alexander fought alongside them on the battlefield and held a certain respect for his comrades-in-arms.
However, after dedicating so much time to their cause, Alexander felt disillusioned and skeptical when the Church seemed ready to abandon these loyal citizens and followers.
Alexander wanted to protect the South at all costs. This wasn’t far from the truth—there was no significant falsehood in it.
Given that Alexander was not an emotionless person, it was natural for him to feel this way.
Nevertheless…
After storming out of the Vatican’s conference room, Alexander cited the aforementioned sentiments as reasons to protest against abandoning the South. He vowed he would not give up on the South, even moving some of his commanded troops toward the Demonic Realm without reinforcements, declaring his intent to fight the demons alone if necessary.
This wasn’t purely altruistic but rather more akin to political maneuvering.
While the support of the common folk might not wield immense power in this world…
Gaining the people’s favor and popularity could still significantly benefit those in power.
To win over the masses, putting on a show was crucial. And such shows often revolved around making oneself look good while portraying others as villains.
For instance, pretending to knock on an empty house’s door or staging situations where one appears to passionately argue before ultimately failing—all designed to enhance one’s image.
At its core, the message was clear: while everyone else in the Vatican suggested fleeing, only Alexander stood firm, sword in hand, to defend the South.
Once this became public knowledge, Alexander would undoubtedly gain even greater support from the Southern citizens and faithful.
Of course, this was blatant politicking aimed squarely at undermining the Vatican.
By promoting himself, Alexander effectively tarnished the reputations of other high-ranking clerics.
Yet despite being insulted, the Vatican couldn’t immediately act against Alexander. They needed his strength and influence now more than ever.
Clenching their teeth while internally seething with curses, they were forced to extend an olive branch to Alexander.
“…”
Ten days had passed since the Continental Conference began.
As Alexander gazed at the hazy outline of the Demonic Realm on the horizon, he asked his adjutant:
“Is the Continental Conference still dragging on?”
“Yes, sir. It is. Although the Guardian of the Empire insists on advocating for the expedition…”
Alexander smirked.
Ray was currently repeating the same argument like a parrot at the conference.
Ray believed that if Alexander strongly advocated for countering the demon invasion first, the Emperor would also gain strength.
However, in Alexander’s view, this was entirely Ray’s misconception.
While it was true that Alexander was one of the central figures in the South, what truly mattered was the will of the Vatican.
Followers of the Holy Order existed in every nation, granting the Vatican influence sometimes comparable to the Empire itself.
Without movement from the Vatican leadership, public opinion wouldn’t carry much weight, no matter how much Alexander shouted.
“How amusing.”
Alexander recalled Ray’s parting words in Rief before they parted ways.
Ray had said that if Alexander voiced his opinions, he would offer assistance.
“Very amusing indeed.”
Despite his remarkable talents, Ray’s naivety stemming from his young age was evident.
Carrying the Imperial Guardian Medal, Ray seemed to overestimate his own influence, though it amounted to little real power.
Muttering under his breath, Alexander soon composed himself.
There were certainly people worth mocking.
How could anyone dare to trivialize someone who had achieved unprecedented feats in the history of the Empire?
Though arrogant, Alexander was far from foolish.
“…Ah, yes… If that’s the case… Could it be…”
Realizing something belatedly, Alexander smiled again and asked his adjutant:
“If I head toward the Demonic Realm… Would you come along?”
“Of course, there’s no question about it. I shall follow until my last breath.”
“Hmm… Then let’s not waste time here. Let’s prepare ahead just in case.”
*
After Ray left for the Imperial Capital due to the Continental Conference, Luna remained alone in the room where Ray had stayed for several days.
With her eyes closed, Luna slowly reminisced about the past.
Her first meeting with Ray was etched vividly in her memory.
Every moment she spent with Ray remained crystal-clear in her mind.
“…”
Ray’s decision to take in orphans during his youth wasn’t out of kindness or pity.
Occasionally, Ray would deprecate his actions in front of Luna, as if trying to alleviate the burdens of her heart.
However, Luna still remembered the emotions reflected in Ray’s eyes during those early days.
Ray empathized with the children.
He pretended not to care while secretly offering affection and protecting them.
In his younger years, Ray built emotional walls to sustain his fragile mental state, playing the role of a stoic figure despite his inner struggles.
Yet, despite this facade, Ray’s dedication was warm and genuine from the start.
Compared to the past…
The emotions added to Ray’s gaze when looking at Luna were nothing but guilt.
Once, Luna found happiness in Ray’s eyes filled with empathy and warmth.
Now, looking into those unchanged eyes filled her with dread and revulsion.
“…”
Luna forcibly pulled herself away from being lost in the past.
Ray’s decision to head toward the Demonic Realm hadn’t been finalized yet.
Even if Ray insisted on tackling the Demonic Realm alone, without allies, he wouldn’t accomplish anything.
“…”
Ray was aware that his plans might fail.
But something seemed off. In Luna’s estimation, Ray’s plan had a very high chance of failure. Still, Ray appeared strangely optimistic that it might succeed.
“…”
Rising from her seat, Luna exited the room.
Walking outside, she gradually picked up speed, eventually summoning a spirit to fly.
However, before she could call upon the spirit, Luna realized she was too late.
“…”
Turning her back to what lay ahead, Luna slowly walked through a world bathed in twilight.
*
Even without consolidating public opinion, the Emperor could enforce an expedition to the Demonic Realm through sheer authority.
Naturally, discord would arise, and leading the coalition army would face limitations, but fundamentally, this wasn’t a major issue.
Even if the expedition failed and resulted in troop losses, depending on the circumstances, it could be treated as a secondary problem.
However, the real issue arose if the enforced expedition failed.
Humanity’s center is the Empire.
The center of the Empire is the Emperor.
Thus, the Emperor was humanity’s cornerstone.
If the Emperor’s authority suffered a severe blow by the failure of a forced expedition, it would jeopardize his ability to lead humanity’s century-long war.
Therefore, the Emperor chose silence initially, listening to the voices of various factions.
Most power brokers shared similar concerns with the Emperor.
Who could handle the aftermath if pushing forward aggressively led to failure?
In this situation, Ray was the sole advocate for a strong push toward the Demonic Realm.
When the Empire’s Guardian, known for extraordinary achievements, forcefully argued his case, many initially bowed to Ray’s authority.
However, as the Emperor remained silent and Ernst intervened sparingly during heated discussions, the atmosphere began to shift.
In fact, Ray had ample reasons to be dismissed in such settings.
Young, of humble birth, and lacking tangible power, Ray was vulnerable to disregard.
Though no one dared to disrespect Ray openly, the fear of his authority was waning.
“To perish…”
A noble from a kingdom countered Ray’s statement.
“Why not focus on rebuilding the land methodically over a hundred or two hundred years?”
“That’s right.”
Isabelle, the head of the Blue Magic Tower, agreed with the noble.
“This is a honey-coated trap. We needn’t respond to it.”
“You’re reversing your stance. Are you rejecting the only opportunity to prevent our doom with baseless optimism?”
The conversation went in circles, and opposition to Ray’s arguments grew.
Many in the room now viewed Ray as overly ambitious, driven by misplaced altruism and ignorance of reality.
To observers, Ray’s current predicament was laughable, restrained only by his past accomplishments from outright ridicule.
At that moment, a renowned scholar of demons and a northern noble cautiously offered his thoughts:
“While I don’t believe the Guardian’s words are incorrect… An expedition to the Demonic Realm has no precedent in the history of the Empire.”
Due to the lack of precedent, information was insufficient, variables abundant, and thus the expedition perilous.
The noble attempted to build this logic, but Ray interrupted:
“No, this is the second attempt.”
“…”
The Emperor, who had remained silent, turned to Ray for the first time.
With one eye glowing red, Ray scanned the attendees in the conference room and spoke with a roughened voice:
“He achieved a miracle alone and met a lonely end. You must now fulfill the duty you neglected in his death.”
The cryptic statement puzzled many.
Just as someone opened their mouth to question, a letter from the Duke of the South arrived.
The attendant read aloud Alexander’s letter, summarizing that he couldn’t abandon his homeland and the Southern citizens, vowing to fight alone if necessary.
Reactions among the conference participants varied widely.
Some saw through Alexander’s political motives and chuckled inwardly, while others admired his resolve but deemed it reckless.
The letter concluded with a request to send those who shared his ideals to the capital to participate in the conference.
After hearing the entire letter, the Emperor called for a short recess.
However, few left the conference room during the recess, busy exchanging opinions. Meanwhile, Ray rose from his seat, dragging his chair slightly.
“I’ll take a short break.”
Ray asked a servant to guide him to the lounge. Since Alexander publicly declared cooperation with Ray, Ray’s solo performance as a jester had ended.
With a somber expression, Ray left the conference room.
*
Paula of the Royal Guard stood guard, her eyes widening slightly as someone familiar approached.
Though they weren’t close acquaintances, Paula recognized the face approaching.
Naturally, Paula displayed friendliness due to the visitor being one of the heroes of the Imperial Defense War.
“Nice to see you, Lord Anthonyus. I am Paula of the Royal Guard. Are you visiting the capital to attend the conference?”
Despite Paula’s warm greeting, Anthonyus shook his head and continued walking forward.
Feeling somewhat offended, Paula extended her hand to stop him but was blocked by a divine barrier.
Other knights noticed and drew their swords.
However, at that moment, Paula experienced an indescribable intuition and instinctively grabbed a massive shield, commanding:
“Everyone, form ranks!”
The momentarily stunned knights quickly sheathed their swords and raised their shields.
As Anthonyus moved forward, he grasped the Sacred Sword.
Everyone watching held their breaths, eyes wide open.
The Sacred Sword slid smoothly out of its scabbard.
Simultaneously, the ground trembled violently as if struck by an earthquake, and a dazzling pillar of light surged skyward, blindingly bright.
Struck directly by the shockwave rippling through the air, Paula bled from her ears but maintained her composure, smiling broadly as she lowered her shield and faced forward.
Within the blinding light that threatened to burn her retinas,
Anthonyus emerged, gripping the Sacred Sword, and declared succinctly:
“Prepare the Sanctuary.”
A revelation had descended.
*
A pillar of light formed by divine energy manifested in the Imperial Capital.
Piercing through magical barriers deployed on the ground, the light grew larger, dispersing clouds and soaring into the heavens.
Soaring high enough for all inhabitants of the continent to witness, the light blessed everything below.
Everyone turned their heads to gaze at the towering pillar of light ascending toward the heavens, but Ray didn’t bother to look outside.
Seated in place, Ray slowly lifted his wine glass, feeling the massive wave of divine energy pass through his body.
“So, Anthonyus.”
For you.
For me.
And for everyone we cherish.
“Let us… complete our myth.”
