Chapter 64: Will You Accompany Me to See This Stupid Dream?
Entering someone else’s spiritual world was a brand new experience that Rast had never encountered before.
The spiritual pathway was penetrated.
He felt his spiritual incarnation condense into a vague shadow, appearing in a brand new world made up of Hiltina’s memory fragments, observing everything happening before him from a third-person omniscient perspective.
This seemed to be a station platform deep within a forest.
On the platform, a man and a woman were conversing, or rather, arguing.
“Aaron, the Calamity has been confirmed to have arrived in the Autumn Leaf Territory.”
“The form of the Calamity in the present world is manifested as mountain fires, nearly burning down the entire mountain range and enveloping dozens of cities in the Autumn Leaf Territory in flames.”
“Of course, according to the information from the Ruins Institute at Starry University about the Night World, this unprecedented mountain fire is not a natural disaster… but caused by a fire element demon lord, conservatively estimated to be of sixth-tier high rank, materialized from the Calamity Echo.”
“I need to return to the Autumn Leaf Territory immediately. Aaron, will you come with me?”
The one speaking was a serious-looking woman with a delicate face and flowing chestnut-colored hair.
Although her body was petite and slender, wrapped in knight’s attire, there was an air of nobility and majesty about her that made onlookers unconsciously overlook her age and appearance.
At first glance, Rast almost mistook her for Hiltina herself.
However, he soon noticed some differences.
Though her appearance and imposing presence were very similar, the woman in front of him appeared noticeably more mature than Hiltina.
The curves accentuated by her knight’s attire were less youthful and tender compared to Hiltina, instead displaying more fullness and richness.
Since this was a spiritual world constructed from Hiltina’s memory fragments, this woman, who looked very much like Hiltina but was evidently older, must be Hiltina’s mother.
As this thought flashed through his mind, Rast saw on the other side of the platform the silver-haired middle-aged man referred to as “Aaron” by Hiltina’s mother, closing his eyes in pain.
“Cecilia, you know very well that I can’t do that.”
“The barbarians of enemy nations have invaded the Winter Fortress, and as a prince, I am also the appointed military commander for this operation. I must be stationed at the borders no matter what.”
“You know full well the style of those barbarian troops. If the Winter Fortress falls, it will mean the collapse of the entire northern part of the empire. Those alienated armies in league with the Cult Organization will not consider sustainability when occupying cities; they will plunder ruthlessly, even massacre and conduct bl**d sacrifices.”
His voice was authoritative and steady, but it carried an indescribable sense of struggle.
“From the standpoint of national interest, even if all the cities of the Autumn Leaf Territory are consumed by fire… the losses are still far from comparable to the fall of the north.”
“Moreover, Father Emperor is critically ill. This moment is crucial for the royal selection. If my negligence leads to the fall of the north, then the royal selection would essentially become a bubble for me.”
“To reform the decaying empire, prone to collapse at any moment. To manage the privileged elite of the imperial capital, ensuring that the nation and Starry University no longer impede each other, but work hand in hand to eliminate internal strife and conquer the Night World together.”
“Making it so that the Calamity no longer descends upon the present world, allowing every subject of the empire to live and work in peace… that is also our shared dream.”
Watching the dignified middle-aged man whose words were filled with pain and struggle, Rast was slightly taken aback.
He suddenly realized he knew the other party from the interconnectedness of smart terminals on the internet.
Though the person looked much younger than the commonly circulated images online, combined with the name Aaron, his pure silver hair, and the clues of being in Hiltina’s memory fragment, there was no doubt that the person in front of him was the current king of Granville—Aaron von Fresberg.
“Yes.”
“Allowing the inhabitants to live and work in peace, free from the troubles of the Night World, the Calamity, and war. That indeed has been our dream all along.”
Upon hearing this, the woman referred to as Cecilia, suspected to be Hiltina’s mother, smiled.
“But, Aaron.”
“My dream and yours are ultimately somewhat different.”
She turned and looked up at the sky, giving a whistle.
After a few breaths.
Boom—
A roaring storm suddenly descended, stirring a whirlwind of maple leaves on the platform.
It was a giant griffin, its pitch-black wings obscuring the sunlight.
The imposing aura emanating from the griffin caused all beasts within a kilometer radius to involuntarily prostrate themselves, trembling in fear.
This black griffin landed gracefully on the platform in front of Cecilia, the knight, its huge beastly eyes displaying a hint of submissiveness.
Cecilia’s chestnut hair fluttered in the wind as she gently stroked the griffin’s head and prepared to mount it.
But just then, Aaron’s hoarse voice rang out again.
“Cecilia, can’t you refrain from going?”
“I can have Tuck and the others assist at the Autumn Leaf Territory instead…”
Listening to Aaron’s hoarse words, the chestnut-haired knight did not respond.
However, her actions, slowly moving away from the black griffin, silently spoke volumes.
“What if I were to knock you out and forcefully bring you back to the imperial capital?”
Aaron’s voice resounded once more.
Yet for some reason, despite the threatening tone, the dignified and composed middle-aged man’s eyes revealed an unprecedented hint of pleading.
“You know exactly what I would do if that were the case.”
From a distance, Cecilia paused her steps slightly.
She turned her body slightly to meet the eyes of the man in military garb: “I understand that as the heir to the empire, you have responsibilities you must bear.”
“But I have my responsibilities too.”
“The Ingulit family is just a small noble family in the border area, and my subjects only number a small few tens of thousands in the Autumn Leaf Territory… I do not have the resolve to carry the interests and fate of the entire empire upon my shoulders like you do.”
“All I know is the family motto of the Rangers—”
“As a noble, one must protect one’s subjects no matter what, even at the cost of one’s life; as a knight, as long as there is breath left, one must never allow their companions to d*e before them.”
“That is my justice, the justice of Cecilia Ingulit, different from yours, Aaron.”
She gazed at Aaron from afar, who was wrapped in military attire, his figure slightly hunched for some reason, and her eyes softened a little.
“Thank you, Aaron.”
“No matter what, I have never regretted knowing you and meeting you.”
“To be able to become your wife, that is the luckiest thing in my life.”
The moment the words fell, the knight turned her body, with not a hint of hesitation in her movements.
She leaped lightly onto the back of the giant black griffin.
On the other side, Aaron instinctively reached out his hand, as if wanting to grasp the departing figure.
But his movement ultimately froze in mid-air.
“Wait.”
Cecilia’s movements paused slightly, but she did not turn back.
“I will take Hiltina from the Autumn Leaf Territory to the imperial capital, not allowing her to remain in the Ranger Family any longer.”
Aaron’s words were devoid of the earlier hesitance and struggle, replaced by an unwavering air of authority akin to steel.
“Once the royal selection is complete and I successfully ascend to the throne… I will need an heir, and the empire will also require a successor to the ‘Heart of the Dragon.’”
“The conditions and resources of the Autumn Leaf Territory and the Ranger Family are not suitable for raising an imperial crown prince.”
No response.
The enormous black griffin soared into the sky, flapping its wings to create a massive storm.
Soon, the griffin, along with the slender figure of the knight atop it, vanished into the distant sky towards the direction of the Autumn Leaf Territory.
Boom—
A few minutes later, a train rushed in, stopping at the platform.
The doors opened, and someone walked over to Aaron, softly asking, “Do you need me to go to the Autumn Leaf Territory and assist Cecilia in dealing with that fire element demon lord?”
“No need.”
The silver-haired middle-aged man’s voice became as cold as steel, devoid of emotion.
“Not only the Autumn Leaf Territory… the Winter Fortress also desperately lacks combat power. If the northern region falls due to your absence, that would be an unacceptable loss for the empire.”
He boarded the train, and the very next moment the doors closed.
The train sped along the tracks northward, heading in a direction diametrically opposite to where Cecilia had gone.
Suddenly, the silver-haired middle-aged man paused his steps.
“Tuck, use your Night Blade to project the real-time image of the Autumn Leaf Territory, showing Hiltina the ongoing battle against the fire element demon lord.”
“For Hiltina? But she just turned five this year.”
The man named Tuck clearly displayed some hesitation, glancing uncertainly towards the corner of the carriage.
It was at this moment that Rast, who had been observing the scene from a third-person perspective, suddenly discovered.
There was a chestnut-haired little girl in a dress, who had been timidly hiding in the corner, watching the argument unfold between Aaron and Cecilia.
She clutched a teddy bear in her arms, her eyes filled with confusion and fear… completely unable to comprehend why her previously loving parents had erupted into such a fierce argument today, even to the extent of parting ways.
“Don’t mind her age.”
“To become a qualified heir to the empire, to become my successor, bearing the future of the entire empire… ‘sacrifice’ is the first lesson that Hiltina must face.”
The silver-haired middle-aged man left this remark before turning to leave.
Only Tuck, after much internal struggle, sighed, then waved his hand gently.
Before the timid little girl, he projected a real-time image like rippling water.
…
“I really did underestimate this.”
“I never expected you to see me as a child, in that innocent and naive state, unaware of the world.”
A clear voice, reminiscent of the sound of a gentle evening breeze, rang in Rast’s ears.
Rast turned around to see Hiltina, who had unknowingly appeared behind him, watching the unfolding memories together with him.
Rast’s heart stirred slightly. He had originally thought Hiltina was also lost in the past illusion, unable to break free by her own power.
But now it seemed that Hiltina had already sensed the existence of the illusion and regained her self-awareness… yet for some reason, she had not been able to directly break free.
“Some memories, avoiding them isn’t a solution; eventually, one has to confront them…”
“Moreover, this is also an opportunity for me.”
“A chance to examine my own heart, to strive for perfection and flawlessness, leaving no room for similar vulnerabilities.”
As if sensing Rast’s thoughts, Hiltina smiled and walked to his side.
Together, they stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing at the five or six-year-old version of Hiltina in the flickering water curtain, whose eyes were filled with confusion and unease.
“Is Lady Cecilia Ingulit your mother? That makes sense.”
Rast pondered for a moment and then asked.
“But from the memory fragment earlier, His Majesty Aaron is your father?”
“So, should I refer to you, Hiltina, as Your Highness?”
“Yet, I recall from my previous research online that His Majesty Aaron has his own wife, not from the Ingulit family… and there also seems to be a daughter named Ophelia.”
Hiltina extended her delicate, fair finger to play with a strand of chestnut hair falling at her temple: “That’s because after my father ascended to the throne, in order to fracture those noble families in the imperial capital, he tried to woo some and suppress others… and chose to marry a duke’s daughter, who is now my stepmother.”
“And Ophelia von Fresberg is my half-sister.”
“I see, so Hiltina, it really hasn’t been easy for you, to the extent that the royal surname was stripped away.”
Rast nodded with a touch of sympathy.
In his mind, he had already concocted a heartwarming story of Hiltina being oppressed by her stepmother and having her inherit the position taken away by her stepsister, yet she persevered and independently came to Starry University to rise up, inspired by the tale of “Cinderella and the Glass Slipper.”
Pfft—
Nearby, Hiltina couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.
“It’s not quite like what you imagined.”
“Though even Mr. Silver is somewhat wary of Ophelia, she behaves quite well and is adorable in front of me; she has the image of a good little sister.”
“And my stepmother treats me well; I respect her as if she were my own mother.”
“However…”
Hiltina’s gaze paused on the flowing water curtain, which had been conjured by Tuck, continuously shifting before them.
“When I was youngest, most innocent and ignorant, my worldview not yet shaped… I witnessed some things.”
“And then, they became entangled in my life, unforgettable, and a conviction I am willing to uphold for a lifetime.”
“Or perhaps, what is known as obsession.”
“The reason I refuse to use the royal family surname and decline the title of ‘First Princess’… even rejecting all resources and support from the royal side to come alone to Starry University, is for this reason.”
“A reason that might appear rather rigid, cliché, and unyielding to outsiders.”
As she spoke, Hiltina’s once light-hearted tone grew slightly serious.
She turned to meet Rast’s gaze with her light brown eyes.
“Rast.”
“Will you accompany me to take a look at this foolish dream together?”
Rast chuckled and nodded.
“It would be my utmost honor.”
He felt that the “Chariot” card stuck at “Bond Level: 2” in the Library of Fools was finally about to find a chance to level up.
………………………..
PS: The seven-thousand-word update is complete; the first-day update word count will exceed ten thousand.
Also, Happy New Year to all the readers! Please give me a wave of monthly tickets! QWQ
(This chapter is complete)
