Chapter 954: Act 125 – Crystalization Disease
The Grand Duke Grantodi had a flamboyant life, leaving behind countless offspring. Among all these princes and princesses, only a few of Queen Ophelia’s children hold any real claim to the throne, with the Silver Queen being the Queen’s third daughter, deeply favored by both the Emperor and the Queen. In Vaunte, under the rule of the Temple of Fire, there were countless princesses among dozens of small and large kingdoms, and if these princesses were compared to the stars in the night sky, then among billions of starlight, there would always be one or two that shine the brightest, like the well-known Sister Princess Margadale and Erluin’s jewel Grifian. But sixty years ago, the night sky of that era belonged to just one person.
That person was Princess Constance—the Silver Princess.
Constance could be said to be born with a silver spoon in her mouth; as the daughter of Grand Duke Grantodi and Queen Ophelia, she possessed an extraordinarily noble lineage. As she grew day by day, her beauty gradually spread beyond the empire, even reaching as far as Saint Ausoor, the dwelling of the Wind Spirits, and the northern Fanzan, where free mercenaries and merchants ruled the Ten Cities. People were discussing this Cruzian princess. Moreover, Constance was an Awakener; from birth, she had inherited part of the Silver bloodline—this was also the origin of her princess title. During her teenage years, the Chief Court Mage of the Cruz Empire, Master Jerut, asserted that she would become the most outstanding mage of the future empire. Just like the scholar girl Shi Do, Constance’s exceptional talent quickly caught the attention of Bud, the leader of the Silver Society, who had tutored the young queen for quite some time.
However, just this was not enough to make her the heir to the empire—let’s not forget she had two older brothers. Although the Grand Duke’s eldest son was injured in the Northern War and thereafter suffered from continual ailments, passing away at the young age of twenty-seven, the second son was gifted with intelligence and had a charming demeanor that did not pale in comparison to his brother, further supported by the Chancellor. From any perspective, he was the best candidate for succession. For Grand Duke Grantodi, the best choice would be to have the second son inherit the throne and allow the youngest daughter, Constance, to become the Grand Mage of the court or take charge of the Temple of Fire, which undoubtedly was a win-win choice for the royal family.
Brendel knew that the eventual developments took a significant deviation—the Silver Queen eventually took the throne from the Duke, and something monumental must have occurred during that time—these unexpected events had clearly transpired during the war of Alkania.
He asked, “What exactly did they encounter there? And how does it relate to my grandfather? Was his trial merely a cover-up for the truth?”
“Don’t rush, take it slow, young one. They passed through the mist, guess what they found there?” Turiman looked at Brendel with great interest: “They found the legacy of the Dark Dragon.”
“The legacy of the Dark Dragon?” Brendel jumped, feeling a bit guilty as he clenched his fist. In contemporary Vaunte, being associated with the Dark Dragon was almost synonymous with being a pariah; just look at the situation of the witches to understand. They were merely suspected of having connections with the Dark Dragon. The Dark Dragon’s former servants, the Minren, had been expelled from the civilized world, disappearing into the glaciers for over a thousand years. The last known individual with Minren blood was Sir Dubde, a knight of the Graius Knights’ Realm, who was burned at the stake due to his one-quarter Minren heritage, a dark era that sends chills down one’s spine.
Though the situation today isn’t as severe as it was hundreds of years ago, Queen Constance would never inherit the crown just because she acquired the legacy of the Dark Dragon. The likelihood was that she would be imprisoned permanently as an unspeakable scandal by the royal family. Yet history developed in an ironically odd manner, as now everyone knows who the supreme emperor of Cruz is.
“It was that person’s legacy; when Constance discovered it, they were sealed within two broken crystals.”
“Two broken crystals?” Brendel’s heart raced; weren’t those the soul stones?
Turiman nodded: “A legend has long circulated among the mountain people in Valarch: it is said that before the final battle, the Dark Dragon sealed part of its soul mark within a gray gemstone, which was discovered by a group of explorers in the White Mountain Great Valley, known as the Crown of Gray Valley. After the ultimate battle, this gray gemstone was artificially divided into several pieces by Conrad, the legendary craftsman with one-quarter mountain people’s blood. He completed this task in some valley of Valarch, where many mountain people were captured to work as laborers. Most were killed afterward, but a few survived, and hence this legend has been passed down to today.”
“And what Constance discovered was precisely two fragments of the Crown of Gray Valley; the Minren referred to these broken crystals as soul stones.”
Brendel stood in place, silent for a long time, before asking again, “And then?”
Turiman smiled slightly, and then changed the subject: “Everyone knows that the Dark Dragon Odin is the source of all evil, a tyrant. However, mortals’ jealousy of the Minren and their covetousness of this tyrant’s power has never ceased for a moment. People were so eager to find the battleground of the final war because, according to legend, the Dark Dragon left the inheritance concerning the Minren—the only legacy related to the Golden Bloodline aside from the dragon race—on that battlefield.”
“The Dark Dragon left the Minren’s legacy on the battleground of the final war?” Brendel frowned, “How could anyone believe such a ridiculous rumor? If Odin had left that legacy on the battlefield, the Four Sages would surely not have remained silent. Not to mention the presence of the People of Silver during the battle.”
“You think this reason sounds absurd,” Turiman countered with a smile: “But not so. There is indeed a reason why this rumor has spread. For thousands of years, people have tried every possible way to seek the glorious legacy of the Minren but to no avail. The only remaining place was the battleground of the final war. Unfortunately, the Four Sages have been tight-lipped about the outcome of that battle, and the People of Silver have sworn to uphold a certain secret under the holy pact, which everyone knows is related to that secret.”
“The legacy of the Dark Dragon is too sensitive. If anyone wishes to obtain it, they cannot overlook the righteousness of the Saint’s War, whereas the knowledge and civilization of the Minren are different. Constance, as an imperial princess, obviously understands this. In fact, her goal from the very beginning was the latter. If the empire could inherit the Golden Civilization, it would definitely surpass Saint Ausoor and Fanzan, allowing imperial power to rise above the Temple of Fire. Constance is well aware that since the legacy of the Dark Dragon is here, then that rumor might very well be true, and the legacy of the Minren is also present.”
“But she also knew that it was unrealistic for her and Gwenethlyn to thoroughly search the entire battlefield—” Turiman paused, “Of course, at that time, she was still unaware of the true identities of Gwenethlyn and others. Naturally, she would think of seeking help from me and Darus, your grandfather. At that time, your grandfather was the commander of the allied forces of the Temple of Fire, and Constance was just one of his deputies. After all, to lead such an enormous coalition, your grandfather could not possibly have only one capable assistant; back then, he had several important deputies, one of whom was Marshal Dalenhill of the Duchy of Antobru, and the other was me.”
Brendel had never heard of this name, but the high-ranking members of the coalition were mostly regarded as the best and most outstanding soldiers appointed from various countries by the Temple of Fire, so this marshal was likely an impressive figure in Antobru. When he thought of this small nation southeast of the Cruz Empire, the first person that came to mind was still the Sister Princess.
Remembering Margadale’s goddess-like purity and her steadfast, kind-hearted spirit, Brendel couldn’t help but feel a trance. Such an outstanding princess naturally deserves the adoration of the world, and even the Temple of Fire is no exception. But how many people knew that within this princess lay perhaps an inhuman soul?
He shook his head and discarded that thought, listening as Turiman continued: “After returning to the coalition, she first ordered your grandfather in her capacity as the imperial princess to send an army into the final battlefield to search for the legacy of the Minren. However, Constance was a very shrewd woman. Even back when she was still the imperial princess, her extraordinary wisdom had already manifested. She was aware of my relationship with the people of Bud, so she privately requested that I keep this secret from the Silver Society. Understanding my and Darus’ feelings for Erluin, she swore that if one day the empire attained the legacy of Golden Civilization and stood at the pinnacle of the world, it would ensure that Erluin gained permanent and true independence. Her oath, made in the name of the Cruz people’s ancestors, the Flame King Gilt, was naturally trustworthy, which is why both your grandfather and I were moved from the start.”
At this point, Turiman sighed: “This is because I was well aware that this little princess of the empire was bright, rational, and awake; she would never covet the legacy of the Dark Dragon. Moreover, the legacy of the Golden Civilization was not considered forbidden to the Bud people. Passing on civilization is actually something we are pleased to see, which is why I verbally agreed on behalf of your grandfather.”
“What about my grandfather?” Brendel couldn’t help but ask.
This question caused the elder of the Silver Alliance standing before him to tug at his snow-white brows, looking at him peculiarly as he answered: “Young one, your grandfather was young, vigorous, and handsome at that time, gaining increasing prestige in the Temple of Fire. Grand Duke Grantodi even intended to have him join the empire, leaving the position of marshal open for him. However, that old guy stubbornly and proudly rejected it due to the unique stubbornness and pride of the Erluin people.” Though he spoke thus, a hint of admiration flashed across the elder’s wrinkled face—this was his old friend, and also the pride of the Erluin people. But that pride was soon replaced by melancholy as he shook his head and said: “Since ancient times, young women have admired heroes and knights, and for an outstanding woman like Princess Constance, she naturally had high standards. In the entire Temple of Fire, the only one who could have caught her eye was probably your grandfather.”
Brendel nearly spat out the water he was drinking, struck speechless, and couldn’t help but exclaim: “Are you saying my grandfather and Her Majesty the Queen…” The sentence abruptly faltered after the word “her,” no matter how rich his imagination was, he could not believe that his grandfather almost became the man of the Silver Queen. And that woman is now the ruler over a vast territory extending from the Hazel Plateau in the west to the Cloverwild in the east, south to Amann, and north to Erlandta; the supreme sovereign of the empire, Emperor of the Cruz people.
Sometimes reality is even more absurd than the most bizarre knight novels, but this was simply absurd enough for him to struggle to accept.
Turiman, however, nodded solemnly: “Although this romance has never surfaced, the relationship between your grandfather and the princess was actually an open secret within the coalition, which meant that, both publicly and privately, your grandfather had to comply with the princess’s requests.”
“Unexpectedly, just two days later, events took a turn that none of us anticipated. No one expected that on that very night, the news quietly spread, reaching the ears of the Wind Spirits and Fanzan people in Saint Ausoor. By the time we realized what was happening, everything had become completely chaotic. The Fanzan people and Wind Spirits sent armies into the final battlefield ahead of us, disregarding Bud’s opposition. Due to this incident, the princess was extremely disappointed in your grandfather. At that time, the only ones who knew this secret were me, your grandfather, and Gwenethlyn among the three inner attendants of the princess, who had neither the opportunity nor the time to spread the news. As for me, with half of my blood being from the People of Silver, I had no motive to do so. Therefore, the only one left with the greatest suspicion was your grandfather.”
Brendel did not interrupt but understood in his heart that if he were in that environment, his grandfather would definitely be the first suspect. If he were in his grandfather’s position, he might also consider spreading the news. Excluding personal feelings, the best situation for Erluin would be to have Saint Ausoor, Fanzan, and the Cruz Empire mutually restrain each other, maintaining a balance of power, so that small countries like Erluin could have a chance at survival. Although the oath made by the Silver Queen was trustworthy, that was only her oath alone. Not to mention that at that time she was not the Emperor of the Empire; even if she were, what about a century later?
Thus, the best measure would be to spread the news, muddying the waters, so that the Bud people would get involved, giving everyone the chance to lose opportunities.
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but ask: “Could it really have been my grandfather…”
“Of course not.” Turiman shook his head emphatically: “What kind of person is your grandfather? How could he be double-faced in front of his woman? He is a heroic figure; even if there were legitimate reasons, he would disdain to employ such conspiracies. However, at that time, the princess refused to listen to his explanation. She immediately exercised her rights as the imperial princess to oversee the coalition, stripping your grandfather of his command and placing him under house arrest before leading the army into the final battlefield herself.”
The elder sighed: “In fact, given your grandfather’s prestige at that time, opposing Constance would have been quite easy. Although she had that hidden identity as a military overseer, there were, after all, not only Cruz people in the coalition, and it was also unreasonable to deprive a coalition marshal of his military power merely based on suspicion. Unfortunately, your grandfather was unwilling to come to blows with the princess, which led to the ensuing tragedy.”
“The ensuing tragedy?” Brendel couldn’t help but furrow his brow, cautiously asking. He only knew that later his grandfather faced judgment from the Temple of Fire, and shortly afterward, the princess inherited the throne. Gwenethlyn and the other three dragons now appeared to have been exiled by the dragon clan, cast into Jotungrund’s underground and forbidden to step foot into Vaunte. But what exactly happened in between remains a subject of contention, with no definitive conclusion. It was rumored that his grandfather was attacked from behind while going deep into the Alkania Mountains; whether it was due to the Temple’s persecution and conspiracy or some other reason remained unknown.
“You should have guessed by now that it was actually Gwenethlyn and those three who spread the news. As the princess’s inner attendants, they naturally had neither opportunity nor motive, but if they acted as dragons, their behavior could be understood. They instigated Constance to search for the legacy of the Minren, but their real objective was the soul stones left by the Dark Dragon. Since they had already found fragments of the Crown of Gray Valley, why would they easily give up?”
“Initially, they stood on the same side as the princess, but now, as Constance sought to control the situation and keep everything within the boundaries the empire could bear, from that moment on, their goals diverged. Hence, Gwenethlyn and her comrades immediately spread the news to stir chaos before seizing the opportunity to obtain the soul stones—their aim was naturally tied to the prophecy concerning the return of the Dark Dragon.”
At this point, Turiman cast a significant glance at Brendel, leaving the latter breaking out in a cold sweat, before continuing to narrate:
“Their plot nearly succeeded, but who could have anticipated that the secrets of the battleground of the final war were far from as simple as they imagined?” His voice grew distant, as though recalling everything that had happened back then: “When the Cruz people, Fanzan people, and Wind Spirits all entered that fog-shrouded battleground, terrifying things began happening, as soldiers lost their minds one after another, as if controlled by an invisible force. At first, they slaughtered one another until the number of those who could maintain rationality dwindled… Even more terrifying was that this situation spread like a plague, no longer limited to the fog, and even the coalition army stationed outside the battlefield began to be affected.”
“Things spiraled out of control, and by the time the Bud people attempted to intervene, it was already too late. As the liaison for the Bud people within the Cruz coalition, I naturally learned of this news at the first moment. At that moment, I knew trouble was brewing—this situation could only mean one thing: on the final battlefield, there must be a gigantic seal beneath hiding some kind of evil we were unaware of—and someone had already activated this seal. We immediately informed the headquarters of the Silver Alliance, and after searching through ancient texts and the recounted words of some sages who survived the Saint’s War, we confirmed this news. The secret the four sages kept silent about during the last battle indeed related to this seal. As for what this seal was, even the People of Silver had no record of it; only a passage described the situation at that time from a side perspective…”
“That passage was actually written in the appendix of the Holy Pact, describing: ‘I, Elroy, Mithril, swear in the name of the People of Silver upon the sacred pact, under the witness of the four sages, that henceforth the People of Silver shall bear the duty of monitoring the entire world and strictly guard this secret until that prophecy comes to pass.’”
“That prophecy?”
“That prophecy is also written in the appendix, describing:”
“XVI: THE TOWER—
The lost moon steals the light.
XX: JUDGEMENT—
Light has been lost.
XVII: THE STAR—
The generation of silver lost on the ground, walking through thorns amid darkness and ignorance.
VIII: STRENGTH—
The encounter of emperors and fools.
IX: THE HERMIT—
The rusted spring is resetting.
XXI: THE WORLD—
The sword that changes fate.”
Flowing through the body was the blood of silver. Turiman’s memory was astonishingly sharp as he recited the entire prophecy verbatim. After Brendel listened to the entire prophecy, he couldn’t help but feel a thrill of terror because he suddenly realized he had seen this prophecy before. When he had just crossed into this world, he had witnessed that segment of text multiple times in those consecutive dreams.
“What does this language describe?” he could not help but ask.
But Turiman shook his head: “We don’t know either. Elroy was the leader of the Silver Society in the previous generation of mages; even he never mentioned what might have added that paragraph to the appendix, and he himself unfortunately passed away in an accident in his green years, so we cannot verify it with him anymore.”
“Then what is sealed beneath the battleground of the last war?”
“It is…crystal,” Turiman hesitated, “Behind the mist, there stands a magnificent temple. According to descriptions, that temple is sixty-six feet high, disappearing into the mist on both sides, having no idea how vast it truly is. It seemed like the place where the final battle took place; the temple was severely damaged, and at its center, amidst the ruins, a huge purple crystal was stabbed in a diagonal position. That crystal seemed to have fallen from the sky, piercing the solid marble floor of the temple, causing the stone slabs and soil to bulge. Half of the crystal’s volume was buried underground. Anyone who approached that crystal would be assimilated by it and turned into a monster…”
“Turned into a monster.” Brendel furrowed his brows, feeling a sense of foreboding and pressed further, “Turned into such a monster?”
Turiman lightly patted the back of his neck: “From here, crystalline horn-like structures will begin to grow, and gradually, the person will be assimilated by the crystal, turning into a monster resembling half-human, half-crystal. At that point, he would have lost all reasoning, becoming feral, extremely murderous, and harbored deep hatred towards those who were once his fellow humans—whether they are human or Wind Spirits.”
Crystalization disease—
Brendel understood well what that was. He couldn’t help but first recall the crystallized monster he encountered in Ampere Seale; there was only one thing capable of causing crystalization disease, and that was Somir crystal.
