Chapter 35

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Chapter 35

The opening got bigger the further they went in, and soon, it expanded to several times its original size. At the end of it, they found a door. The massive door, made of a large rock, looked very sturdy and solid, and it was meticulously carved entirely with unknown Morgennis characters.

‘I can’t figure out what’s written. I’m going to die of frustration.’

What are the words written on this door? A warning? Some advice? If not both, an explanation of what’s beyond this door? One of Andra’s hands reached forward as she carefully examined the picture-like text. Dustin pushed the door without hesitation.

“What are you doing?”

Andra hurriedly grabbed Dustin’s wrist. Dustin looked at Andra with a puzzled look. So, was she thinking of coming all the way here and going back without even opening the door? Seeing Andra’s dissatisfied expression, the more she looked like that, the more he wanted to open the door. With his hand on the door, Dustin pushed harder.

The door that seemed unlikely to open opened very easily. At the same time, a bright light fell on the two of them. Their eyes were so suddenly blinded that they couldn’t open them properly for a while.

At some point, an open space greeted them. They quickly entered the door.

“This…”

The two were amazed.

Could it be a forgotten ancient temple?

First of all, at the end of it, there was a large and high stone statue comparable to that of the Imperial Palace. They had never seen a stone statue sitting on a golden chair as big as their body. From the shoulder up, the statue was embedded into the ceiling, so it was impossible to see its face.

It was like saying how a human would not dare to see the face of a god, so just looking at it gave them a tremendous sense of pressure. They wondered if it would feel like that if they actually faced God. Andra felt her legs shaking. She swallowed a gulp without realizing it.

It wasn’t just that. The wide path in front of them gleamed with shiny marble enough to reflect their faces, and white columns as large as a hill were lined up on either side of the path as if supporting the ceiling.

Next to it, a river was running down a deep, steep cliff, and the water was bluish, shining with a luminous glow. In addition, in the water, blue flower buds resembling water lilies sparkled like fireflies, creating a strange sight.

All of these things were tied together and gave a sense of detachment from reality.

“…….”

“…….”

Andra and Dustin forced their stiff legs to walk forward toward the statue. As they got closer, they could see other small statues that were not visible from afar, sitting on golden chairs just like the large statue.

In front of a large stone statue, there were a total of nine golden chairs.

And there were eight stone statues sitting on those chairs.

Each of the eight stone statues had different features. They seemed to portray people of all ages. Children, old people, young people… Their genders differed, too, and their appearance or characteristics did not overlap. Instead, the faces of the statues were covered with a white cloth. They seemed unable to show their faces like the large stone statue.

There was only one stone statue showing its face proudly. It was a stone statue sitting on the leftmost golden chair. And the statue gave the impression that it was looking at Andra and Dustin all the way from before. Of course, it wasn’t that the stone statue was actually moving or anything like that, but they felt strange at the incomprehensible gaze.

“It’s like the founding myth.”

Dustin, who looked around the nine golden chairs, said this. Andra completely agreed with him.

The primordial god and the children, the nine gods.

If the gods of today were born with religious values ​​and had no real substance while having power only in their name, the ancient gods were beings who truly had power and were living and moving beings.

The ancient times was a time when gods and humans lived together.

“Who’s the owner of the empty golden chair?”

Dustin asked Andra, pointing to the empty golden chair in the middle. Of course, if there are nine gods along with the primordial god, there must be nine stone statues, but no matter how much they look around, there are only eight statues.

“No one knows that—only the gods knew who the gods were, so only they know which of the nine gods is not present.”

Andra looked at the golden chair in the middle. She wanted to ask as well. Why was one god absent? And why was only the leftmost stone statue not covering its face? Andra looked silently, and she noticed that there was an altar nearby.

Andra stood in front of the altar. The altar was simple. There was a pool of water in the hollow in the center, and a blue flower bud was immersed in the water, shining with a brilliant light. And underneath it were engraved the words she saw on the mural at the Aslan Ruins. It was also clear that there was something in the text.

‘What does it mean?’

Andra suddenly placed her hand on the altar, and a pattern suddenly appeared in the air. At the same time, a strong, red light flashed from the ancient text, and Andra and Dustin’s wrists responded. Andra felt her wrists getting hotter, and she tried to move away from the altar. Something was strange.

“Andra Avellin!”

Dustin walked over to Andra and called her out. At that moment, Andra noticed the flower bud slowly blooming.

Before the flower was even fully bloomed, a pattern floating in the air burst, and then swallowed up Andra and Dustin. With the immense light affecting their heads, they lost their consciousness in an instant.

【 The eighth duty has begun. 】

The stone statue on the far left, the only one that had no cover over its face, was smiling as if its mouth was about to burst.

Ramhafzel, the capital of the empire.

As the twilight dawn passed and the orange sun rose, it illuminated the majestic Imperial Palace. At the beginning of a new day, the city dwellers were busy moving from early morning. In a few hours, the sun will come out completely. At the same time, even for the numerous guests visiting the Imperial Palace, preparations should not be neglected.

However, at Phlox Palace, the residence of the second prince located in the south, mornings often started later than in other places according to the owner’s disposition. However, there was one urgent step that disturbed that relaxed atmosphere. It was Count Ygenn, the prince’s closest confidant.

“Good morning, Count.”

The chief attendant saw the count running vigorously from afar and hurried out to greet him.

“Is His Highness still in bed?”

Count Ygenn’s face was quite red when seen up close. It was a face that was engulfed in heat. If there had been no one there to stop him, he would have jumped into the prince’s bedroom right then. It seemed that something had happened.

“His Highness has just woken and is just getting ready.”

“Really? I will see him right away.”

“Please wait a moment. I will let him know.”

“You don’t have to. I’ll go. This is an urgent matter—His Highness will understand.”

Count Ygenn refused the offer and started walking ahead of the chief attendant. Count Ygenn, who had frequented the palace as the prince’s playmate since childhood, strode towards the bedroom without needing the guidance of the chief attendant. The chief attendant hurriedly followed after him.

“Your Highness, it’s Mikhail!”

Count Ygenn rushed inside as soon as the attendant opened the door. At one side of the room, he saw the second prince changing clothes. Four or five attendants were waiting beside him. Jonathan looked at the angry Count Ygenn and made a face that seemed to understand.

“As expected, I think Sister did something.”

Saying that, Jonathan’s face was calm. Count Ygenn looked at him with a slightly blank expression on his face.

“Did you know?”

“I received a letter from the Avellin Marquisate’s Young Lord in the morning.”

After choosing emerald cufflinks and wearing them, Jonathan dismissed the servants and sat down, leaning back. Count Ygenn went in front of him and stomped his feet.

“It can’t be. Putting restrictions on the wool shipping business! It’s as if they were completely aiming at us! It’s clear that they are trying to break our alliance.”

“Mikhail, you’re too excited. Calm down? Your face will ripen.”

Jonathan sip the tea the chief attendant had brought and looked at Count Ygenn. He was still the same as his face would flush when he’s excited. At the sound of the prince’s thoughts, the count yelled with veins on his neck.

“I really can’t! Don’t you know that if the trading of wool is restricted, the authority of our Eilderk designated exchange will also be greatly reduced! Sooner or later, they may even try to steal the location of the designated exchange!”

“Don’t worry, Mother won’t let it slide until that point.”

“But Her Majesty will keep an eye on this, right?”

So from then on, it’s going to be a muddy fight. Jonathan didn’t respond at all to the warning from Count Ygenn. Rather, he tilted his head to the side and closed his eyes drowsily.

“But from Mother’s point of view, there is no harm in taking Sister’s proposal, so of course she’ll tolerate it. How can she prevent it? It’s too much to go and be cute. Or Mikhail, will you go and act cute?”

“Your Highness!”

“Don’t yell. You said loud noises were annoying because you always have a bad headache in the morning.”

“Then do you have any other good ideas? How can you be so relaxed?”

Count Ygenn said this with an expression saying he was on the brink of weeping. There was a reproachful sigh in his voice. Jonathan put down the teacup and gently pressed his temple with his fingers.

“I’m also thinking.”

Three years ago, the emperor started signaling his retirement to his vassals since Lord Eden, a public servant, passed away from a chronic illness. The only problem was that the emperor had yet to choose a successor.

One day, the emperor summoned all his children and declared.

“It doesn’t matter which one of my children rises to the throne—only that the first who rises above the others can become emperor.”

And he set only one rule.

“You are not allowed to harm each other.”

As declared, the emperor did not favor any of his children. Instead, he cleared away any obstacles that might have been there. It’s like planting several seeds in a well-maintained garden and only watering them to see which one grows well.

Thus, the struggle for the throne under the emperor’s watch began, and now, only the first princess and second prince remained on the stage and were at odds.

“Sister has welcomed an Airak as her husband and wielded a mace without hesitation.’

Jonathan knew very well that Airak had been aiming for Eilderk for a long time. In fact, everyone knew about it. When most people thought of Eilderk, they’d think of Airak in the north and Avellin in the east, as the events that took place between the two families were famous.

The first incident dates back to 100 years ago.

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