Chapter 999: Act 171 – The Legacy of the Divine People II
From start to finish, Sidney had been silently observing from the side, neither opposing nor intervening. Her brow was slightly furrowed, lips pressed tightly together, and her expression was serious, as if she were not in the woods of Metz’s West, but within the solemn confines of the Temple of Fire. Seeing her like this, Brendel couldn’t help but think that she truly resembled the Saintess of the Lion Palace, just as he had expected. Noticing the tattered golden-red sacred robe on her, he understood that her presence here was not without difficulties, and it was unlikely that she had found herself here by mere chance. Without a doubt, she did not stand with Her Majesty the Queen’s new doctrine.
Her relationship with Varla was both mentor and friend, and she was a principled person—there was no way she would betray the doctrines of the Golden Flame.
“Sorry, my mind is a bit scattered,” he explained.
“No problem,” Sidney responded.
“Thank you for saving me.”
Sidney nodded in acknowledgment.
As Brendel responded, he observed the surrounding environment. The woods were silent and peaceful, the emerald leaves forming a lush carpet; a stream flowed gently between the stones nearby, and a deer in the forest stood alert, ears perked in this direction, creating a tranquil scene. It appeared that they were still in the same valley from before, but there were no signs of battle left behind; it seemed they had fallen far away, and he didn’t know if Bai was nearby or if his soul had vanished completely.
Brendel couldn’t help but feel a bit of a headache. It seemed that Medisa held a considerable respect for her royal sister. He wondered how she would react to this outcome. If there was resentment, he would have to accept it, as he knew well that, given the chance again, he would make the same choice; that woman posed too great a danger to remain in the world. However, what he feared most was that Medisa would become depressed because of it. He was reluctant to let her suffer any further harm.
Thinking this, he was momentarily taken aback and then shook his head to cast aside those troubling thoughts, asking, “How long was I unconscious?”
Sidney noticed the anxiety on his face and replied, “Not long, I saw you fall from the sky and rushed here; it’s only been about a quarter of an hour.”
Had it only been such a short time? Brendel was slightly surprised. “Lady, you are…”
Although he recognized Sidney, he decided to act as if he didn’t for the moment, so as not to be too shocking, since he had never met her before. After introducing herself, Sidney confirmed that she was indeed the renowned Saintess of the Lion Palace, one of the high-ranking archbishops in the Temple of Fire. After her introduction, before Brendel could say anything, she took the initiative to say, “I specifically came to find you, Lord.”
“Looking for me?” Brendel thought, just as he asked the question out loud.
Sidney glanced at him, remaining silent as she retrieved a bundle from behind her. Only then did Brendel notice that she was carrying a long, neatly wrapped bundle covered in gray cloth. Despite her tattered holy robe, this bundle was well-protected, showing little dust. She laid it flat on a rock and opened it to reveal many glimmering metallic shards of various sizes and a black sword hilt. The weighted end of the hilt was intricately carved into the shape of a swirling silver flame.
These shards were evidently pieces of a broken longsword, and a person of Sidney’s status would not pay such close attention to a broken sword unless these shards had significant origin, so their provenance was clear.
Indeed, Sidney carefully arranged the shards one by one, confirming none were missing before looking up at him earnestly. “This is the Holy Sword Odrefice,” she answered seriously, as if the sacred tone could resurrect the sword itself.
“I see, so you’re after the soul of Odrefice,” Brendel understood at once, remembering that such a thing was asleep within him. He realized there were quite a few oddities residing in his body: the soul of Queen Wind, the legacy of the Dark Dragon, the Heart of Thunder, the power of the Traveler, the Elite Template— which had now turned into a Leader Template— and that vague game system, along with the dark divine blood and a jumble of mixed memories. To call it a junkyard would not be entirely accurate, yet it felt like a mobile treasure trove where a boss could drop loot at any moment; in short, it felt rather uneasy.
After putting down the remnants of the Holy Sword Odrefice, Sidney did not linger on the topic. Instead, she said, “Before leaving the Imperial Capital, I met with Count Valarch.”
Brendel paused for a moment before realizing she was referring to Xi, the girl he had previously encountered. He couldn’t help but chuckle internally; here he was fighting desperately in Erluin, only to have received a mere fief from Toniger, while Xi had suddenly risen to stand beside him as an equal. It was quite off to say “equal,” as Xi’s fief was Valarch— the homeland of the mountain people, situated between Ludwig and Mehotofen, at least half the size of Erluin. Not to mention that Xi was an authentic Count of the Empire, her title bearing far more weight than his dubious one, which had hinging validity, had it not been for the need for a name by the head of the embassy.
However, hearing Xi’s name so suddenly filled him with excitement. Although he knew she had remained in the Imperial Capital, it had been nearly months since he had heard anything about her. He wondered how that reticent girl was faring, whether she had faced any persecution, whether Her Majesty the Queen had put her under house arrest, and a multitude of questions he couldn’t express.
“How is Xi?” he asked.
“Her Majesty the Queen has not troubled her, for no one can force the Sky Green Spear,” Sidney replied. “However, I have heard that Her Majesty intends to betroth her to the son of Peino.”
Sidney suddenly stopped speaking, as she noticed the temperature around them drop drastically, the forest rustling in a low whisper as if shivering. She looked up, surprised to see the falling leaves suspended mid-air around Brendel’s body, while a wave of white frost quickly spread across the surrounding grassland, turning the swaying blades white before disintegrating into icy dust. In the domain where time and space were bound, molecular movement completely halted, rendering the space within a few feet into nothingness.
This…
Brendel suddenly realized that he had lost control of his power in his furious rage. He quickly reined in his thoughts and realized it was due to his rapid growth in strength; fortunately, he responded quickly, or the violent surge could have caused harm to himself.
“Peino, that mountain chieftain?” he asked coldly.
Sidney looked at him and nodded.
“His son is unworthy of political marriage with my subordinate; even your Her Majesty the Queen has such a limited vision.”
“This should merely be a statement, but if Count Valarch insists on not bowing his head, Her Majesty the Queen might truly do so,” said Sidney.
Brendel suddenly felt a wave of irritation, for reasons he couldn’t quite articulate. “That foolish girl, what’s wrong with temporarily bowing her head? Can’t I trust her?” He didn’t even know who he was rebuking, but he complained nonetheless before taking a deep breath to calm himself.
Sidney observed his demeanor, not surprised. “Lord, what Her Majesty gained on the final battlefield was different from you. Odin granted her not just power, but authority; therefore the Dragon Queen, the Lionman, the Minren, and the Sainya People all recognize her, and even Madara does not oppose her authority,” she began to explain, “whereas what you received is blood, the bloodline of the War Dragon; in this respect, you are far inferior to her. Furthermore, she has had more time than you; with decades of meticulous planning and preparation, her trump cards go far beyond what you have seen. It would be quite difficult if you wish to rely solely on the Crown Prince to oppose her.”
“You all know?” Brendel realized.
“We learned it after your battle with Williams, Lord.”
Brendel couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly, realizing that he thought he had hidden this well, yet the high echelons of the Temple of Fire were already aware of the legacy of the Dark Dragon within him. He then grew curious, “If that’s the case, why are you so indifferent?”
“That is the same indifference shown by the Fanzan, and as for the reasons, I believe you can already guess, so relying on Fanzan or other forces to intervene in this war is unrealistic. The Bud possibly may support you from behind, but that would only be a small portion of them; the Silver City-States have been at odds for years and are divided into many factions,” Sidney quickly explained his doubts.
Brendel shook his head; in truth, he had expected this. Ever since his conversation with Turiman, he noticed the matter was not as simple as it seemed on the surface. If even the Temple of Fire was split, how could the Light Sanctuary of Fanzan be an exception? Hence, the inaction of the Pope of Fanzan was a possible outcome; everything that was happening now was not far beyond what he had imagined.
“Is that the reason, Lady Sidney, for your visit?”
Sidney nodded honestly. “The Silver Queen intends to restore the dynasty of the Minren; I and the Pontiff of Varla cannot agree with her actions. The Pontiff is under her house arrest, and I escaped the Imperial Capital alone. Her Majesty has lured the Academy faction, winning many to the side of the new doctrine, but locally, there are still many who support the Pontiff’s views. Those in Ludwig and Metz wield a significant opinion among many nobles; if you merely command them in the name of the Crown Prince, it will have little effect.”
“Surely, with the imminent threat, they could still manage to unify their opinions?”
“This is a holy war; whose voice is heard is a very serious matter.”
“That’s true…” Brendel just realized that he had oversimplified the issue. Indeed, the Chancellor’s Daughter had mentioned a similar concern, but since she was not an authority figure in religious circles, her words did not carry the same weight.
He then glanced at the remnants of the Holy Sword Odrefice in Sidney’s hand. He asked, “Lady Sidney, do you mean…?”
“The Pontiff sent me to find you, desiring you to reforge this sword, using the Blade of Fire as a token to restructure the Sanctuary. He said— to let you exhibit an alternative possibility in history,” Sidney paused, explaining, “those were Lord Varla’s exact words.”
Brendel’s eyes went wide in surprise; he had thought his mental resilience was adequate, but it turned out to be lacking in front of the thunderous Varla. He grasped the meaning of those words and couldn’t help but ask in disbelief, “Lady Sidney, do you think this is a fairy tale? You mean to lead the Temple of Fire yourself; do you truly understand what that implies? This is no joke. Even in the most bizarre bedtime stories, I’ve never heard of such a tale.”
The implication of Varla’s words was clear: he would be handed the position of the Pontiff. However, Brendel considered himself to be lacking any so-called divine leader charisma that marked someone as the destined ruler who could command worship and submission. He had enough self-awareness to know that he had come this far largely through foreknowledge and trickery. Even though at times it had escalated to surprising outcomes, such as gaining several witches as his subordinates, he had never taken those feats seriously, becoming even more disinterested in such things. From the Loop of Trade Winds to the later battle at Ampere Seale, he had undoubtedly walked each step, paying in blood and lives until he barely managed to change Erluin’s future a bit.
Now, suddenly, a significant figure from the Temple of Fire was presenting him with a position as the Pontiff; it felt almost like a joke, an absurdity.
He shook his head in disbelief and spoke earnestly, “Lady Sidney, I know that the soul of Odrefice is sleeping in my body, which is why you have come seeking me. If you truly need my assistance, I am willing to join forces with you to help reforge this Holy Sword, as we have common enemies and goals— but as for the ownership of this Holy Sword and the position of Pontiff, I am genuinely uninterested.”
Brendel raised his hands in surrender, “To put it mildly, first, I am not a Crusian, and besides, I have never delved deeply into the doctrines of the Golden Flame; I have no interest in the Temple of Fire. Would you really trust an outsider like me to lead the Temple? Let alone you— I don’t even know what direction I would take you.”
He assumed that the Temple of Fire took such extreme measures because of the soul of Odrefice within him, trying to strike a ridiculous deal to win him over. After all, commanding the Temple of Fire, a vast entity, merely by holding a Holy Sword? That was a tale from fantasy novels; if the people underneath disregarded him, then whether he wielded the Holy Sword Odrefice or even the Amber Sword, it would be of no use. He did not wish to be a puppet; if the Temple sought an alliance with him, it would be better for both parties to take a step back and find a more sincere approach.
However, Brendel did not anticipate that Sidney’s expression became serious— though she had always been serious, it became more so. She looked at him and responded earnestly, “Lord, what do you believe the doctrine of the Golden Flame is? Order and protection; it is not as difficult to understand as you think. Lord Varla has chosen you, the Holy Sword Odrefice has chosen you; I believe it cannot be too far out of line.”
Brendel was completely stunned, even forgetting the words he had been about to say.
“Are you serious? Lady Sidney?”
Sidney nodded, then shook her head, “I am merely following the choice of the Holy Sword Odrefice. Perhaps you do not yet understand the significance of the Blade of Fire, but that’s okay; I believe you will come to understand it.”
Brendel shook his head. “I need to think about it; this matter requires more deliberation. As for the reforge of the Blade of Fire, I will consider it.” As he spoke, he stood up from the ground, looking up towards the valley. Worry crept into his heart for his companions, especially for his seniors and Medisa. He asked, “I need to find my companions; will you come with me, Lady?”
Sidney nodded, appearing indifferent to the need to clarify the matter further, and she put away the bundle, standing up alongside him.
