NOVEL NEXT Chapter 138
The carriage raced towards the Ayaxen family’s mansion with such speed that it seemed ready to take flight. Baron Ayaxen hastily dismounted, nearly stumbling as he rushed towards his study. The servants, flustered by their master’s early return, hurriedly greeted him, but Ayaxen saw nothing and no one. Like a racehorse with its blinders on, he focused solely on his destination and sped towards it.
“Nobody follow me!”
Baron Ayaxen dismissed the servant who was trailing him, intending to assist, and locked the door to his study behind him. After a quick, nervous glance around, he removed the large landscape painting hanging on the wall, revealing a hidden safe. His hands trembling, he began turning the dial of the safe, his mind a whirl of thoughts.
The safe’s location was obvious.
Most people would hide their safes in such a place, wouldn’t they? But because of its obviousness, he had invested considerable effort into securing it. He had purchased this top-grade safe, said to be resistant even to unlocking magic, at a hefty price.
‘But the opponent was a mage and spirit sorcerer who had taken down the Mad Dragon!’
For someone of that caliber, even the best safe might have been useless.
“Wait… what?”
But when the safe door finally opened, Baron Ayaxen found the prophecy book he had stolen using “the Rope” lying calmly inside. He blinked several times, wondering if his desperate mind was playing tricks on him. When the prophecy book did not disappear, he rubbed his eyes furiously, but the scene before him remained unchanged.
The prophecy book was still there!
Realizing this, Baron Ayaxen’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
‘I was played by those bastards.’
Now, he couldn’t even be sure if the prophecy book in his safe was real or a fake. “The Rope” had assured him it was the genuine article, but…
With effort, Baron Ayaxen steadied his trembling legs and got back to his feet. He reached for the prophecy book in the safe to confirm its contents when suddenly, a powerful gust of wind erupted around him.
“Ugh!”
As the panicked Baron Ayaxen screamed, the contents of the safe were all swept up into the air by the swirling wind.
“No, no!”
Besides the stolen prophecy book, the safe was filled with other crucial documents—various certificates proving his wealth, along with secret correspondences exchanged with high-ranking individuals. Now, all these important papers were floating in the air, caught by the wind.
“Damn it!”
Baron Ayaxen jumped up and down, desperately trying to grab the documents that were drifting in the air. However, the powerful wind swirled a few more times before shattering the tightly closed window with a loud crash, sending the papers flying far away.
“Nooooo!”
Baron Ayaxen clung to the window frame, watching helplessly as the prophecy book and documents disappeared into the distance.
**Kyarrrrr!**
Amid the raging wind, there was a hint of mischievous laughter. It was the sound made by the playful wind spirits. The direction the wind was heading? Most likely toward the contractor of those laughing spirits, Marquess Servian Kol.
**”I’m… ruined…”**
Baron Ayaxen’s face turned ghostly pale.
***
As soon as Baron Ayaxen dashed out of the banquet hall, Servian wasted no time in burning the fake prophecy book he held in his hands. The flames roared up, and while it looked similar to magic, the structure of power was entirely different since it was the fire spirit responding to his will.
Though to the eyes of the people, the result would appear the same.
As the prophecy book blazed and quickly turned to ashes, gasps and screams erupted from all around. Amid the shocked stares of the crowd, Servian raised his hands lightly, a cheerful smile on his face.
“The real prophecy book wouldn’t burn so easily. It’s perfectly protected by a complex holy spell cast by the Church’s first pope.”
Servian’s words quickly calmed the crowd, which had been momentarily stunned by the shocking spectacle. Indeed, the prophecy book was said to be protected by a powerful holy spell to prevent any damage. The fact that it had endured through the ages, still in pristine condition, was partly due to the diligent care of the scholars at the Ivory Tower, but fundamentally, it was the protection of the holy spell that preserved it.
“The real prophecy book wouldn’t be damaged even if thrown into the flames. Just like this.”
With a light wave of his hand, the prophecy book that had been in Servian’s possession floated up into the air. Almost immediately, flames leaped up around it. The sudden burst of fire so close to me made a wave of heat wash over my face.
“That madman…”
Axel muttered irritably, grabbing my shoulder and pulling me towards him, quickly distancing me from the heat.
‘I think my eyelashes got singed a bit,’ I thought, sniffing at the burnt smell while everyone else’s attention remained fixed on the prophecy book engulfed in flames.
Despite the intense heat, which had turned the flames a blueish hue, the prophecy book maintained its shape perfectly. The crowd, awestruck, clasped their hands together in reverence.
“Wow…”
“Oh, my God…”
Having definitively proven the authenticity of the prophecy book, Servian proudly extinguished the flames. The prophecy book gently floated back into my arms.
At that very moment, Kirke approached me with a smile.
“Just as this prophecy withstood the flames, so too shall it protect the Empire.”
Kirke placed a hand on the prophecy book and closed her eyes. After muttering a brief prayer, she opened her eyes again and surveyed the people gathered in the banquet hall.
“May the blessing of the gods reach everyone.”
Following the Emperor’s lead, the nobles bowed their heads in reverence. Even the opposition nobles, who usually seized every opportunity to challenge the Emperor, bowed without exception, underscoring the immense power of the prophecy book.
The people of the Empire believed in the gods and trusted the prophecies. The mere fact that the prophecy remained valid under the Emperor’s reign fortified the power of the imperial throne. Moreover, with the family that guarded the prophecy standing in support of the Emperor, there was little more to be said.
‘To plan a party announcing his return to society as an event to unveil the prophecy… The Duke’s cunning is truly remarkable.’
And Kirke, who chose to proceed with this event instead of hosting a party for his pregnant wife, was no less formidable.
The once warm and approachable prince had truly become an Emperor. The passage of time was more palpable than ever.
***
“The moment the prophecy was revealed, everyone bowed their heads to the Emperor.”
The Empress lay in bed, listening to her chief lady-in-waiting’s whisper.
“They say the Saintess, Lady Elpinard, stood by his side, receiving the people’s reverence together. That honor should have been yours, Your Majesty…”
The chief lady-in-waiting sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping as if in regret.
“And here you are, unable to host your own party, confined to your chambers just to save face.”
The only way for the Empress to cancel her pre-announced party without losing face was to declare that her health had suddenly deteriorated.
“If things had gone as they should, you would have received not only everyone’s congratulations but also wonderful gifts…”
The chief lady-in-waiting lightly massaged the Empress’s shoulders, letting out a heavy sigh. Her soft whispers drifted to the Empress’s ears like music. The Empress sat on the bed, listening, her eyes dulled and unfocused.
“What could be sadder than the fact that the Emperor, whom you trusted, is not on your side?”
“His Majesty…”
The Empress murmured vacantly, her thoughts trailing off as she listened to the chief lady-in-waiting. Not missing a beat, the woman leaned closer.
“Yes. In the end, this situation was orchestrated by the Emperor. If only His Majesty had supported you, none of this would have happened.”
“…Yes. That’s right.”
The Empress’s previously clouded eyes began to regain their focus.
“The Emperor should have protected me.”
The Empress’s eyes flashed dangerously as she spoke.