Chapter 72

“Do you think it’s just speculation?”

At the Emperor’s words, Ardein couldn’t say anything. Whether it was speculation or not, she had never thought about it that way.

The Emperor, seeing that his daughter had no thoughts on the matter, sighed and continued.

“Grimudo is strong. No one knows exactly how strong, but it’s a fact that he possesses power beyond common sense. That much is certain.”

But even the Primal Demon King, was he that strong from the beginning?

Was he born with unparalleled talent, naturally reigning above everyone else?

Was his talent so great that it surpassed even the hero Yurinel, a genius among geniuses?

The Emperor asked. The Princess again couldn’t answer. She had no thoughts about Grimudo. Strictly speaking, he was someone she didn’t need to concern herself with.

Crouching quietly in the Arctic, he is a legendary existence that no one dares to touch. A living legend. No one tries to bring that legend into reality.

Even the Three God Faith, while spreading their ideology across the continent, avoids concerning themselves with Grimudo.

Their justification is that since he is outside the continent in the Arctic, they won’t provoke him first.

But even after he came to the continent and turned the Citadel Kingdom into the Citadel Republic.

Not even the radical factions of the Three God Faith brought up the idea of seeking revenge against him. He is a natural disaster.

If you’re unlucky enough to encounter him, there’s nothing to do but blame your own fortune.

They only raised their voices, hoping they wouldn’t be the next target, pouring out petitions. The three goddesses leading the Three God Faith did not wish for an all-out war with Grimudo.

“What made him so strong is the power of time. The power and knowledge accumulated over endless years. For us, born much later, it’s an insurmountable power, and until now, that’s what we believed. But you’ve told me that’s not the case.”

“The Phylogenetic Seedling…!”

Even the Princess had no choice but to realize it now. The tree that brings the future into the present, transcending time.

She realized that this miracle is the most decisive way to bridge the gap between Grimudo and others.

“But, but the one in the Arctic has just been crouching there all this time. Why would the gods grant a miracle to prepare for him?”

“Crouching? Is that what Grimudo said? You’re mistaken. He was just observing. You think that we or the Church Country have been suppressing the Demon King all this time.”

So, that was still in the past.

And it’s a secret. The Emperor never met the one in the Arctic directly.

But he had the opportunity to measure his power indirectly. Since that day, he has sometimes envied the one in the Arctic.

Without a single follower, Grimudo is a tyrant. Nothing in the world can defy his will. He is the true Demon King.

In the Emperor’s eyes, the only one in the world who can claim to be the Demon King is him. Other Demon Kings were nothing more than Demon Generals in his view.

“If he decides to erase us all from the world, think about it. How many of those superhuman armies you want to create would it take to face Grimudo’s monster legion?”

The Emperor asked, and the Princess again couldn’t answer. This time, it wasn’t that she had no thoughts.

But even without speaking, she already knew the answer. The Emperor slowly recited.

“Ten thousand? A million? Ten million? Would thirty million be enough?”

Thirty million troops? Don’t make me laugh. Even at the Empire’s peak, it was hard to muster a million troops.

And that’s only on paper, including the soldiers of the border lords and local nobles, after some conscription. It’s a theoretical number that has never been reached in reality.

But even a million troops couldn’t step on Grimudo’s shadow. He could just send out a few monsters, and that would be it. How could a million elite troops possibly face Grimudo’s monster legion that shakes the earth with every step?

The King of Monsters doesn’t even need to show himself; the Hydra and other monsters would be enough to overwhelm them. Thinking this, Ardein realized something.

The Phylogenetic Seedling was never meant to create what she had in mind.

Seeing the Princess’s expression as if she had realized something, the Emperor smiled.

“No matter how many superhumans you have, they are meaningless against the Primal Demon King. What’s needed is one powerful transcendent who can overwhelm all others of the same level.”

“Ardein. Even if the Phylogenetic Seedling seems like a limitless miracle, everything in this world is finite. How you distribute and use that finite power will determine the future.”

He pointed to the burning Beacon of the Sanctuary with his finger and continued.

“And one of those heroes is probably right in front of me. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that you met this Kyle. Someone who can create something like that can do anything. You’ve been guided by the gods without even realizing it.”

“I… I never thought of it that way…”

“That child Roka you mentioned is probably the same. Think simply. If the Three Divine Gods can choose a hero, why wouldn’t a higher being be able to do the same? They probably foresaw that you would clash with Grimudo on your way to the Arctic.”

The Emperor stretched out his arms and hugged his daughter once, then gestured for her to step back.

“Then my role is also set. Now, as the Emperor, not your father, I command you. Ardein. Open the door and call back those who left earlier. I have something to say in front of them.”

*****

“Are you doing well…?”

Roka and I are now in the palace’s reception room, sipping tea.

For me, even this cup of tea is something to be grateful for.

When I traveled with Yurinel in the past, we met an old grandmother wearing tattered clothes. She lived in a shabby hut with a hunched back and a limp.

I couldn’t bring her youth back with my power, but I could straighten her hunched back.

In gratitude, she took out an old bucket and drew water from a well to offer us. It was the only drink she could give us. The well hadn’t been maintained for a long time, so the water wasn’t clean.

Yurinel frowned, and Parnell was about to overturn the cup, but I stopped her. Lucia politely declined, but fearing the grandmother might feel embarrassed, I drank all the water. After all, it was water filled with gratitude, so I drank it gratefully.

And before we left, I prepared a spring for her.

The tea served to guests is something to be grateful for, but for Roka… well.

The child didn’t even glance at the cookies that came with the tea. Our Roka doesn’t particularly like sweets and absolutely hates bitter things.

This tea is just bitter water to Roka, and the cookies are nothing but dry lumps of flour. She didn’t put anything in her mouth and just looked gloomy, so I had to ask a maid next to us if she could make a dessert using eggs or milk.

After all, it’s not meal time yet, so I couldn’t ask for meat. It was a compromise.

“That’s egg pudding!”

Fortunately, she readily accepted the request and went to the kitchen, and soon a cook brought out a yellow pudding.

She confidently said it was made with just eggs, milk, and honey, and Roka ate it with some satisfaction. It’s still sweet, so it might not suit her taste, but she eats egg-based dishes well.

“You can’t go in! Even if you’re the Archbishop, that person is the Princess’s guest…”

“Step aside! I must see that person.”

Just as I was happily watching Roka, though I didn’t make the dish, the outside became noisy. Shouts followed, and an old man in black robes walked towards me through the crowd. He was about to say something to me but then widened his eyes.

Well, we were old acquaintances. It had been a long time since we last met.

“Archbishop Armata. It’s been a long time. I hope you’ve been well.”

“You must be the one who was with the hero back then…”

He might not remember me, or perhaps only as the one who was with Yurinel, but I remember.

Archbishop Armata of the Hilrae Church, in charge of the Granteira diocese, was introduced to me by Yurinel once.

Did he remember me? His expression changed complexly.

“I didn’t know you had the ability to heal the Princess’s illness and wake His Majesty. Now I understand why the hero chose you over the priests of the Church Country. It wasn’t just because you were a hometown friend.”

I see. Fortunately, everything seems to have worked out. The Lord has postponed His Majesty’s demise. I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“Then is the hero here too?”

“Probably still in the Demon World. I left the party, so I’m not sure.”

“You left the party? Why aren’t you helping the hero?”

“Saint Araidel is there now.”

Ah. Only then did the Archbishop seem to realize something, letting out a deep sigh.

“It seems we… have been greatly mistaken about you. Why didn’t anyone correct this misconception? Why didn’t anyone point out who you serve?”

He reached out and grabbed my hand, infusing it with divine power. As the power of Saint Hilrae tried to flow through my body, the Lord’s already abundant power naturally drew it elsewhere. Was it an illusion? For a moment, the Archbishop’s divine power seemed to fluctuate.

“Now I remember.”

He let go of my hand and smiled bitterly.

“Your name was Kyle, right? I thought you were just an ordinary priest beside the hero, but neither you nor the one you serve are ordinary.”

Ignoring his trembling hand, he continued.

“Can’t you see? Just now, the one I serve saw you. And the infinitely radiant halo behind you. We need to reconsider our judgment about the one you serve.”

“Archbishop, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Suddenly, realizing that the person before me was the Archbishop of the Three God Faith, something I needed to say came to mind.

You might already know, but it’s better to be sure.

“Probably you already know, but a Death God has appeared near the House of Vlad in the southeast of the Empire. A Death God formed from the resentment of children.”

“I’ve heard. It’s caused a state of emergency throughout the church. Everyone’s busy running around now. That’s how big things are. When there’s nothing, it’s quiet, but when something happens, it all comes out at once.”

He let out a deep sigh and then bowed to me.

“It was good to see you. Next time, it won’t be me but a messenger from the Church Country who will come to you. But before that, you’ll have to welcome a guest.”

Following the Archbishop’s gaze, my eyes moved too. Past Roka, who was eating egg pudding without taking her eyes off me, I saw a blond man who somewhat resembled the Princess. Only his eyes were plain blue, not green like the Princess’s.

The man looked at the Archbishop and spoke awkwardly.

“Oh, I didn’t know the Archbishop would be here.”

“Of course, I couldn’t be late for such an occasion. Let me introduce you. This is the Empire’s Third Prince, Edmund von Illumina. Your Highness, this is Kyle, a priest who serves the Ancient God.”

Well, young people should talk among themselves. With that, the Archbishop left.

The surrounding noise no longer reached us. The Prince smiled at me, but the look in his eyes wasn’t friendly. Of course, the emotion in his eyes soon turned into a more amiable gaze.

“You must be the savior of the Imperial Family who saved my father and healed my sister.”

“Your Highness, I am Kyle, a priest who serves hope.”

But whether he loves or hates me, a priest must love his neighbor. I just smiled softly and greeted him. See but pretend not to see, don’t hold it in your heart.

Just, it was a bit bittersweet. It seems he doesn’t get along well with the Princess.