Free Web NovelChapter 385: Aftermath II
He could already imagine some of his political rivals accusing him of conspiring with the other races to kill Melroy and seize the throne for himself.
After all, internal strife had always existed.
The demon invasion had merely forced everyone to put their differences aside for a few years.
Now that peace was returning, it would not be long before greed and ambition resurfaced. Xavier understood better than most that competition thrived during times of peace.
Such was the human heart.
Just thinking about the mess awaiting him in Haven made his head ache.
"Cheer up, Xavier," Fenrir said with a light smile. "You are powerful enough. Simply shut them all down with an iron fist."
She lifted her teacup and took a small sip.
"You might not be a Saint yet, but among all the Sage Mages, I would say you are certainly the closest to Sainthood. No matter how impossible that final step may seem to you right now, your presence during the battle was appreciated."
"Thank you, Lady Fenrir."
Xavier bowed his head respectfully.
He still could not understand how the monarch of a race filled with so many brash and straightforward personalities could carry herself with such effortless grace.
What a mystery.
Fenrir raised a brow.
"I have an odd feeling that you are thinking something rude, Xavier."
"I would never dream of it, Lady Fenrir."
What concerned Xavier most was the royal family.
How would they react?
At the very least, Alexander had already been named Crown Prince. That alone would reduce the likelihood of an immediate succession war.
Thinking about the boy, Xavier also wondered how his father’s death would affect him.
Would it build him up or break him?
Xavier was willing to bet on the former.
The young prince was strong, both physically and mentally. He would certainly grieve for some time, but he would rise again in equal measure.
Still, he was susceptible to external influence. No matter how mature he sometimes appeared, he was still young.
He would need guidance.
Plenty of nobles would undoubtedly try their luck at manipulating him for their own benefit. The noble court was a cruel, dog-eat-dog world, even for a Crown Prince and future king.
Eventually, Melroy’s body was placed inside one of the rooms within the island’s singular villa. A pair of servants were instructed to clean him carefully, conceal the worst of his injuries, and prepare his body for a proper presentation once they returned to Haven.
Elion, meanwhile, remained quiet for most of the journey.
He was drowning in his own thoughts, his gaze frequently drifting toward the red timer ticking away at the edge of his vision.
[Trial 1: 100% Complete]
[Time Remaining Until All Participants Are Teleported Out of the Trial World and into the 2nd trial: 6 Days: 19 Hours: 57 Minutes: 10 Seconds]
[Rewards Will Be Calculated Once the Trial Ends]
He was relieved to know that this damned trial would not throw them directly into the second stage.
At least he had time to tie up a few loose ends.
Zenith likely wanted to speak with him about how she intended to escape the clutches of the trial. She had told him before that she would take care of it. She was probably talking about using the power of the Philosopher’s Stone.
Elion did not understand the exact details, but one thing was clear. Zenith had become obscenely powerful after merging with the relic.
If anyone could find a way out, it would be her. This trial had gone on for so long that he had almost forgotten it was only the first.
’What do the other trials have in store, I wonder?’
He sighed deeply. He could not even begin to imagine it.
If this first trial was any indication, how much longer would he be forced to remain away from home?
Months had already passed inside this world. Assuming time flowed at the same rate outside, it had been months since his women had last seen him. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
If he were in their position, he would have been anxious too.
He grit his teeth.
’I hate putting them through this.’
Most of all, Celeste, since she was carrying their child.
Ophelia and Esmeralda would likely be fine, but the stakes were higher for Celeste with him gone for so long.
However, time was not even the worst possible outcome. If things had gone differently, he might have died here. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
’I guess I have Zenith to thank for making it this far.’
A small smile appeared on his face. The thought of Zenith soon led him to Isla. How would she react to her father’s death?
Then a larger problem occurred to him.
’I need to ask Zenith if it is possible to bring Isla out of this world too.’
There were still many unanswered questions in his mind, but there was one thing Elion no longer doubted.
The people inside this trial were real.
Over time, he had formed genuine relationships with them. They were not hollow imitations or illusions created merely to fill a world. They had fears, ambitions, attachments, and lives of their own.
Either way, he wanted to be the one to break the news of Melroy’s death to Alexander and Isla.
His fingers rose toward the necklace around his neck, gently holding the pendant between his thumb and index finger.
The sapphire crystal trapped inside the intertwining golden wings shimmered faintly. Just thinking about Isla brought a melancholic look to his face.
On another note, he had levelled up considerably during this little excursion.
[Level: 43 → 49 (20,000 / 49,000 XP)]
He had ignored most of the notifications in the heat of battle, but between the thousands of lesser demons he had killed, the High Mages Maya had brought with her group, and the hulking Archdemon, he had earned a respectable amount of experience.
"Two more levels," Elion muttered quietly. "Then I can finally become a High Mage."
He smiled faintly.
It was a surreal feeling, especially considering where he had started, but he had already been through too much to be overwhelmed by the idea.
For now, he was simply looking forward to spending some pleasurable time with Zenith so that he could maybe gain enough points to make it into the next core stage.
Kurogoroshi had finally been placed inside his storage after a thorough cleaning session, though somewhat reluctantly. The sword appeared to enjoy being cleaned, vibrating faintly throughout the entire process.
It had been an odd experience, to say the least. Having a weapon that acted as if it were alive was the oddest thing of all.
After roughly a few hours or so, the floating island finally arrived in the skies above the Great Forest, where one of the coalition’s largest command outposts had been established.
It seemed they were only here to pick up a few people before finally returning to Haven.
