Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Although the Church of Light tried its best to hide the information, news still began to spread. There were not just one or two slaves that escaped that day. The rest of the escaped slaves had leaked the news.
The rumor that the tomb of the Golden King was discovered in the Bull Mountain Range quickly spread through the entire Crete empire, as well as into many of the neighboring countries. But, an even more mysterious and terrifying piece of news was hidden within the rumor.
The capital of the Crete empire, Virginia, also known as the Lion City, had its palace situated around the center-north side of the city. Though it was not the wealthiest city on the continent, it was the cultural center of humanity, as it was the city with the richest cultural history.
This could be seen from the architecture of the city, as well as the clothing of the inhabitants, population density, and trade activity. It was a lively, bustling city, with sophisticated laws and institutions. Most of the people lived above the poverty line. Even so, it had a hidden dark side—slums and a large number of slave districts.
The palace of Virginia was a towering and magnificent structure of white marble. It was the culmination of the efforts of all of the Cretan craftsmen, over three generations, and was built upon the foundations of the original Crete empire palace. It took several decades to complete the palace.
A youth carried a sword in hand and walked straight into the palace. He put down his sword at the door and headed toward the deeper parts of the palace. He walked past the opulent corridors and palace garden to a small yard. One could see a middle aged man taking a rest and sipping on milk tea in the building beside him.
“Your Majesty!”
A youth stepped forward and greeted the Emperor. Emperor Elliot VII put down the book in his hand and glanced at the youth, “Earl Ivens, why have you come visit me today?”
Earl Ivens peered at the book in the Emperor’s hand and raised his head, “Your Majesty, is that the Epic of Totle?”
Elliot VII nodded his head. “The Epic of Totle records information on many ancient civilizations. We have much to learn from it, especially on the topic of the rise and fall of the Gold, Silver, and Bronze dynasties!”
Ivens immediately replied, “Then, does Your Majesty remember Ahenaten?”
Elliot VII broke into laughter. “Golden King Ahenaten, the first recorded ruler in history, the great hero who brought humanity into an era of civilization? No one would forget him!”
Elliot VII frowned. “Why did you mention the Golden King? Also, surely you must have some official matters to discuss with me today?”
Earl Ivens immediately replied, “Your Majesty, today, the matter I am here to report has direct relations with him. Your Majesty, the tomb of Golden King Ahenaten was discovered in the Bull Mountain Range of Castro Province. Viscount Tena excavated the tomb of the Golden King and stole the Sword of the King from the tomb. Your Majesty, the fabled Sword of the King has reappeared. Currently, Cardinal Hodap of the Church of Light has already headed to Castro Province and sealed the Bull Mountain Range. Should we also take action!”
Elliot VII frowned, unamused. “It is only a sword. We cannot take all of the words of legend as absolute truth. If the Church of Light desires it, they can have it. However, for Viscount Tena to dare commit such an act, he has thrown the face of all the nobles. He must be punished!”
Earl Ivens said immediately, “Viscount Tena is already dead. All of his Bloodline Knights and warriors killed each other inside the tomb, as if they were under a curse. Only a few slaves managed to make it out alive. One of them has the Sword of the King, and we have been tracking him with all of our power. Currently, we have located him in a small town of Castro Province, and we are fighting the Church over custody of the captive. But, that is not the most important part. We have heard of an even more important news from the slave!”
Elliot VII was intrigued, immediately asking, “What news?”
Earl Ivens drew in a long breath. “In the coffin of Ahenaten, they discovered ichor, the blood of God. According to the legends, when Ahenaten received the prophecy from the angel Faross, the angel sealed a drop of ichor into a gem and gave it to the Golden King. It was by using this power bestowed by God that the Golden King managed to defeat the orcs and unite humanity! According to the slave, at the time, they could see a film that was recorded within the gem, depicting the Golden King’s receiving the prophecy from God. They saw the appearance of God, as well as his message!”
“What did he say?”
“He who drinks the blood of God will become a descendant of God, and will wield the power of the Almighty!”
Elliot VII clenched his hands, as his pupils dilating. “Bring me that slave at all costs!”
Ivens was thrilled. Hadn’t he come to impress the Emperor? If he could succeed in this task, he could gain the favor of the Emperor and improve his status, “So what about the Church of Light?”
Elliot VII waved his hand. “Ignore them. This is a matter of the Crete empire, so the Church of Light cannot interfere!”
Ivens left immediately, leaping into action. Other than the Church of Light and the Emperor of Crete, every noble family and hidden power of the underworld also received this intel and began acting at once.
The news of the ichor spread like wildfire, especially the words of the prophecy: “He who drinks the blood of God will become a descendant of God, and will wield the power of the Almighty!”
The public was enraptured. Everyone wanted to become the descendant of God, turning themselves completely into the messenger of God. They also wanted to wield the power of the Almighty! During that time, legends about the ichor and epics of the Golden King were exaggerated indefinitely. Even the children in the countryside were singing the words of the prophecy.
The news had even spread to neighboring countries, their allies within the Crete Empire taking action. There were numerous attempts of robbery when the forces of the Crete empire were transporting the Sword of the King back to the capital, Lion City. Countless people acted in the shadows. Even the armies in the frontier began secretly moving their forces, with countless eyes directed at the little province in the Crete empire.
Within these stormy developments, news concerning the slave by the name of Mark caught everyone’s attention. It was reported that he was the one who took the ichor from the tomb of the Golden King. The province of Castro was turned upside down in pursuit of him.
Meanwhile, in a rural village in the mountains of Castro, a large group of sheeps were grazing on the green grass. A girl, who appeared to be around 12 years old, was herding a large group of sheep. She was a slave of the lord. She was dressed in a torn rag that hardly qualified as clothing. Many spots on the rag had been mended, but it was kept very clean. With slightly dark skin and a face full of freckles, she exuded the youthful aura of a maiden!
As the sun began setting and the last rays of twilight fell on the mountainside, the sheeps started to call. It was like a beautiful rustic painting. But, at that moment, a man drenched in blood crawled out from the foot of the hill.
“Kelly! Kelly!”
She looked up, as she was counting the sheep on her way home, only to discover the the figure of her father Mark. She saw that Mark had a large sword wound, and appeared to be on the verge of death!