Chapter 86: An Old Friend
When a certain ‘princess’ was performing haughtily, the real princess could only tremble in rage under the stage.
Back then, when she awakened from her coma, she realised that she was stripped naked like a small white goat, sitting in the stands with just a cloak wrapped around her. If it wasn’t for the 2 Gray Elves watching her movements by her side and that she was afraid that it might lead to unresolvable troubles, she would have long held a tantrum.
Initially, she was depressed over the fact that a bogus princess could handle the situation better than the real princess. Then, after witnessing the War Angel Form, she was dumbfounded.
The humans are a very xenophobic race. Even so, there is one bloodline that not only do they not reject, it is even highly respected among most humans.
“Angel.”
The first generation children of the Order Faction, the oldest son of the Gods who participated in the creation of the human race, a race of Gods that already transcended the mortal world.
Compliments towards this race are far from lacking on the walls of the church and in the sacred hymns. Regardless of whether in history or novels, the Angels are always a pure and sacred tribe. Their existence itself is the will of God and where their blade is pointed at would be the nemesis of the Order Faction.
Perhaps, the current existing Angels might be unable to appear in the mortal world for certain reasons. This is also one of the main reasons why humans who believe in the Order Gods worship them so much. After all, for a true monarch, it is best for religion to be further away from their authority.
At that instant, Reyne immediately understood the reason for the actions of the bogus princess and silently cheered for her.
“Could she really be here to help me? Just by the War Angel Form Bloodline Ability, the Mist Royalty would not be looked down upon. Even if it is just putting on a brave front, with the blueprints provided to us previously, as long as we have sufficient time, there will be hope for us to rise up once more.”
Upon seeing the sword that struck down on Carter, Reyne clenches her fist in agitation. Not mentioning how she was disgusted by that giant ape, the frustration that she has been accumulating these days left her without a sliver of goodwill towards this country.
However, Darsos’ immediate proposal afterwards left her completely stunned and in shock.
The marriage between 2 monarchs? It is inconceivable just by the thought. Regardless of whether the guy is doing it for the Bloodline Ability or to annex East Mist Communal Country, while clearly displaying his ambitions in public, he is also expressing his sincerity towards the Mist. Indubitably, this is an important diplomatic decision.
At that instant, Reyne really hesitated on whether she should sacrifice herself to accept his proposal. Perhaps, this would grant her country some breathing space. But the next moment, she realised that when strength of 2 working partners are too far apart, then in another sense, one side would be effectively taking possession of the other.
“Reject it. It must be rejected by all means. However, wouldn’t rejecting it directly hurt Darsos’ pride and bring shame to the entire Auland Empire? If this isn’t settled well, it could lead straight to war. Is there any possible way out?”
Apparently, it is an unexpected event that no one was prepared for. However, putting the full authority of the Auland Empire on the line, Darsos never even expected that he would be rejected.
However, in what the real Reyne sees as a desperate situation, to the bogus Reyne, it is just a walk in the park.
“I’m sorry, you’re a male, but I like females.”
The result of Darsos’ confident proposal is a merciless rejection. Even if he wanted to blow this matter up, he has no idea where he should start from. In the end, the situation could end as a farce and gossip before meals.
For one’s target for proposal to be someone with unique sexual orientation, that kind of rejection is probably the only one that leaves one helpless. At the same time, it is the most powerful reason for rejection — How can one date when the gender is wrong?
While Reyne was still glad over the fact that she and the East Mist Communal Country barely escaped a calamity, she immediately realised the new troubles she was about to face. Despite being saved, she seems to have fallen into a pit dug by the bogus Reyne and given the depth of the pit, it is one she is unlikely to escape from for her entire life.
“Wait, to use my face to make such a declaration in front of everyone else, wouldn’t I be unable to redeem my reputation in the future? Then, won’t I be unable to marry anyone for my entire life?”
Alright, tomorrow’s headlines for all kinds of newspapers have been confirmed to be ‘Emperor’s Proposal Falls Through, Princess Reyne Exposes Her Sexual Orientation’, ‘The Secret History of the Emperor’s Love Rival, Svina’, ‘The Love Triangle That Transcends National Borders’. Without doubt, these would be the hottest topic for at least a period of time.
What about Reyne herself?
Under the witness of the God of Holy Knight, there is no doubt about the authenticity of her declaration of true love as a Holy Knight. Very quickly, as rumors and intelligence start to spread, Princess Reyne’s unique taste of being more into beauties than her kingdom would be common knowledge throughout the entire world.
Furthermore, this is the type of situation that requires her to follow through. If it is proven that she is normal in the future, then she would be seen as deceiving the Auland Emperor in front of his own people, humiliating the entire Auland Emperor. If so, the outcome would be disastrous. Then, not only can Reyne not redeem herself, she still has to try her best to pretend to be an abnormal female. In the worst case scenarios, she even has to get herself a few wives and concubines.
“You bastard! I’ll kill you!! How can I face the others after this.”
Alright, if it wasn’t for Diana holding her down, Reyne, who is dressed scantily, would have charged up onto the stage without any hesitation.
As this tragedy turned completely into a farce, as the different presses rushed to inform the people about what transpired in the Royal Sparring Grounds, the real and bogus princess returned together to the temporary embassy and sit around the same table.
“Roland, you are Roland! You are indeed alive.”
“Long time no see, Kelly.”
TL: He calls her Kelly-jie, a casual way to address someone you are close with and more senior than you (in terms of age)
—————-
Due to the exciting performance by the Princess, the obscure East Mist Communal Country became a hot topic in an instant. The embassy where visitors were few initially found its entrance bursting with people at this moment. However, the gate is firmly locked, expressing their intention to not accept any visitors.
However, this didn’t stop a commotion from going on in the meeting room on the 2nd floor.
“Bastard, you’re going down. To think that you would actually lay a trap for me!”
In front of the young lady whose rage couldn’t be quenched, I, who have returned back to Rolande’s appearance, is sipping on the iced bitter tea leisurely. This is a specialty of my homeland. Given the fact that I haven’t tasted it for a long time, I have to make sure to savor it properly.
“Then, can you come up with a better solution? One that doesn’t hurt the pride of the Auland Empire while rejecting them at the same time. You should be thankful for me, otherwise you would be in deep trouble now.”
Reyne isn’t an unreasonable person. As the words I spoke are all true, Reyne immediately quiets down. She has been thinking about it all this while but not mentioning a better solution, she couldn’t even come up with a feasible one on her own.
“Who are you? Roland wouldn’t address me like that.”
Despite being initially delighted, after hearing how I addressed her, hesitation appears on Kelly’s face.
“The arrogant Roland would never call anyone else big sister or big brother, he…”
In my diaries, Kelly is one of the few people which I was extremely close to in the past. As expected, I was unable to hide the fact from her. However, to think that I would be exposed the moment I opened my mouth. Then, let’s try the second way of addressing her as written on the diaries. Right, there is the little secret about this Wood Elf as well.
“Un, little Kelly. Is the star-shaped birthmark behind your neck and the mole below your right breast and left thigh still there?”
Hearing that, Kelly immediately covers her breasts with her arm, her face red from embarrassment. She stares at me with a look as though trying to ward off a sex fiend. My companion, Diana, also looks at me in shock.
“I have forgotten many things. But, for someone from a race of short lifespan to surpass their longevity, a price like this should be natural, right?”
Kelablian shakes her head. Even though her instincts tell her that the man in front of her is indeed Roland, she is still hesitant to accept it.
As this is quite a big matter, it’s natural that she would be extremely careful about it. There is a possibility that the man in front of her might have just obtained that information from the belongings that Roland left behind. Fortunately, she has a much better way of authenticating the identity of the man in front of her.
She takes out the short dagger of two dragons coiled together, that is the ‘Light of Life’ that is directly linked to the soul.
The moment I stepped closer to the dagger, the white pearl immediately radiates brilliantly, proving that it is my Light of Life.
“Indeed, it is you little pervert! But how did you manage to extinguish and light it up again and again!”
Before I could even react, Kelly hugs me tightly, her overjoyed expression making one suspect whether she really is the same calm Wood Elf from a moment ago.
“Heh, that’s simple. Reviving after dying, dying after reviving, that’s all.”
Hearing that, Kelly stuns. Reviving after dying, dying after reviving? It may seem easy but as long as one has a slight understanding of the world and souls, they would definitely know that it is an impossible task.
“Alright, it is hard for us to be reunited so let’s not talk about these boring matters. Right, the color of the Light of Life is the indicator to show whether the soul is sided with the Order Faction or the Chaos Faction right? Looks like Karwenz’s one is really completely black.”
Indeed, what else could be more sided to the Chaos Faction than the Demons who are the incarnation of Chaos. Surprisingly, Kelly shakes her head.
“130 years ago, your Soul Pearl was even darker than his. Can you tell me whether you are him? The nightmare who represents the dark night.”
TL: Yongye means eternal night.
The Wood Elf asks me with a trembling voice. Even if intelligence that Lord Yongye is Roland has been spreading among the leaders of each country, as the mentor of the Twin Stars, she has been unwilling to believe that Roland, who was kind and warm like a ray from the sun, would actually come to such a point.
“Un, it’s me. Back then, I investigated and realised that the reasons for the destruction of the Mist Country isn’t that simple. Thus, I purged all of the suspects responsible for it and their accomplices. Heh, it looks like I went a little overboard in the end.”
“Ah…”
“Big Sister Kelly!! What did you do! Why would Big Sister Kelly faint?”
Alright, having her worst nightmare warp into reality, emotions start to surge in the silent Kelly, assaulting her heart, causing her to faint on the spot.
After she faints, the 3 people remaining on the spot could only stare at one another. The me who has lost his memories and can only know from the diaries that Kelly really deeply loves the previous me is unable to understand her excessive reaction.
After Reyne’s immediate treatment, Kelly gains consciousness once again. Then, she suddenly hugs me and starts to weep.
“Wuuuu, it is all because of my uselessness that caused you and Karwenz to suffer so much.”
The strong sense of self-reproach from watching the person she values fall into depravity, the warm prince to turn into a demon lord caused Kelablian to weep silently.
Tear drops moistened my back and the familiar yet foreign touch left me motionless. This is my first time experiencing the care and concern of an elder towards a junior. It made me feel uncomfortable, making me want to escape from it.
“Looks like I have to look for something to retrieve my memory.”
Despite seeing the other party breaking down in tears, I couldn’t feel anything at all. For the first time, I feel that diaries could not replace true memories. Some things cannot be retrieved the moment they are lost.
Alright, it took me much effort before I managed to persuade the tearful Kelly from her self-reproach to return the topic to the main issue at hand.
“… Will you return?”
The trembling Kelly questions. I shake my head in response.
Why should I return? My people are still in Liu Huang Mountain City. The current East Mist Communal Country is no longer the original Mist Country. Besides, it is unconventional for a retired monarch to ascend back to the throne. Also, my goals also doesn’t allow for me to be limited to only one country.
“However, I will help the Mist Country rise up once again. The blueprints have already expressed a part of my sincerity. The main show still awaits, starting from this sword.”
【Roland Sacred Sword, SemiGod Equipment】
【Attack Power: 22-44+11】（+11 additional damage due to it being a +11 SemiGod Equipment. Even if the Sword deals damage of the lower limit, it will deal additional 11 unavoidable Silver Inferno Magic damage）
【Indestructible: Even against God Equipment, this Sacred Sword will not break.】(Out of the two times it has broken, one of it is because of Ayer, while the other time is because it’s already in an incomplete, weak state, which allowed the Dragon Saber to destroy it through its Unique Ability)
【The Royal Seal of the Mist: Roland Sacred Sword is a symbol of the power of the Mist Royalty, only with the acknowledgement of the King can one use this Sacred Sword. Along with the rise of the Mist Kingdom once again, it is trying its best to evolve to become even stronger. At the same time, this proud Sacred Sword can only be used by the king of the Mist Kingdom and his trusted knights.】
【The Prestige of the King: Strength+2, Agility+2, Stamina+2, Charm+2. In the country built by the Mist bloodline, the reputation would be equal to the respect the user earns.】
【There are yellow words carved on the body of the Sword: The Roland Sacred Sword is the sword used by the Holy Knight Prince Roland in the legends. Only his descendants and inheritors of his will can be acknowledged by this Sacred Sword. (Prerequisite to equip: Mist Bloodline)】
The silver Sacred Sword emits blinding radiance while I shed tears silently. I knew that the System definitely had ill intentions when it allowed me to reforge the sword. From the start, it isn’t a weapon that I could wield.
To become a knight that is loyal to the royalty? Then, it would require an inauguration ceremony. Not mentioning that the current East Mist Communal Country is unable to do it. Even if it is able to, I am unwilling to be a knight that swears loyalty to someone, even if the person is likely to be my descendant.
Even if I am able to use the sword, that is at most another top-tier weapon in my hands. Even though these kind of things are hard to come by, it is still possible to look for them. With the guide of ‘history’, I don’t think that it would be too difficult to look for a replacement.
However, if the Crown Prince of this generation, the Princess Knight, were to retrieve the Roland Sacred Sword, which is the mark of authority of the king, it would seem as though it were the plannings of the heavens. In this era where the authority of a monarch and religions intersect with one another, the recovery of a lost treasure representing symbol of authority in the country will greatly unify the entire country. Those previous citizens who left due to war will also start to reconsider returning back to their homeland.
At the very least, Reyne, who managed to recover the Roland Sacred Sword, will find her reputation soaring. With the weapon of royal authority in their hands, they can even try to negotiate a merger with the other 2 countries built by the refugees of the former Mist Country. Only this way, with both land and people, will there be hope for the rise of the Mist Country once again.
“Roland Sacred Sword! Is this the legendary Roland Sacred Sword?”
The moment the jubilant Reyne touches the Sacred Sword, she was sent flying by a rebound. However, looking at how she wasn’t burnt by the Silver Inferno, it seems she fulfills the requirements for its usage. It is just that she is still too weak, so weak that she couldn’t even earn the approval of the Sacred Sword.
However, looking at the determined princess, I started to ponder on a way to make her strong.
“Reyne, why are you so weak? Is there no one to teach you?”
“Reyne’s talent for swordsmanship is still okay, but that is only stuck at the level of just okay. With many troublesome matter weighing down on her, there is no time for her to slowly train in her swordsmanship. On the other hand, she doesn’t have any talent in Divine Arts, so it is impossible for her to walk on the route of a Holy Knight or a Priestess. Even though she is intelligent, she doesn’t have large amount of time required for a Mage to mature. Thus, the most she can do is to train a little bit on the way of the sword and strengthen her body. Don’t use Karwenz and you yourself as a standard for comparison. In the thousands of years of history of the Mist Royalty, you both are one-of-a-kind, so it would be unfair to the other members of royalty if you both were to be compared to them.”
I nod my head. I have a rough idea on what I should do.
“I have a new job here, Justice Knight. Although they are the Knights of the God of Law, in reality, they are similar to the Holy Knight in the sense that they don’t have to be completely loyal to the Church. Also, unlike other Divine Arts, it doesn’t require the Will Stat. What it requires is Intelligence, as well as understanding and analysis of the law…”
“Perhaps, the East Mist Communal Country can try to come into contact with the God of Law as well. If it is able to become its national religion, then many things would change…”
“Right, we also have to start grooming the Aurora Knights from this moment. It would be too late by the time the winter season starts…”
We didn’t take too long to talk about the main issues at hand. After all, I was the one who was doing most of the talking while the both of them listened to my words. The final decision isn’t something that could be decided on the spot. However, there is a private matter that I would really like to ask.
“Right, Kelly, who exactly is Reyne’s ancestor? Is it me or Karwenz?”
An ugly daughter-in-law still has to meet her mother-in-law eventually. Despite feeling uneasy, it isn’t an option for me to bury this concern of mine in the depths of my heart. In the end, I still posed the question.
“You don’t even know the answer yourself?”
Alright, it is natural for Kelly to be surprised. I could only shake my head in frustration, pointing at my own head to indicate my memory loss.
Suddenly, a crestfallen expression appears on Kelly’s face. She lowers her head and starts to rebuke me tearfully.
“It’s enough for you to forget me! To think you would even forget our child!”
“Our child!”. “Our child!”. “Our child!”. These two words echo simultaneously in my head and in this room.
“Kacha!”. “Kacha!”. Diana’s cup and my cup shatters upon contact with the floor. Our gaping mouth couldn’t be closed no matter what.
“Clang dang.” At the same, Reyne’s loses her grip on her sword. She also stares in shock at the big sister who brought her up. It can’t be that her ancestor would actually be her children. Then, should she be calling her grandmother?
“I’m just joking!!”
I’m completely at a loss. The scariest part about losing one’s memory is that one wouldn’t know that they forgot. Could it be that I unknowingly forgot my own wife?
“Un, I’m just joking. I’m still unmarried.”
Kelly sticks out her tongue and makes a face. Don’t just look at how she is 700 years old, for the Wood Elves who are blessed with a long lifespan, she could only be considered a young lady. Furthermore, the Wood Elves are known to be positive.
“Kacha!” This time, even the saucer holding the cup crashes.
I lay paralysed on the chair while grabbing onto my chest. These sudden blows are really bad for my heart.
I finally understand why the records on Kelly on the diaries would be so contradictory:
“Although she is gentle like a big sister and a mother, she is overly obsessed with pulling pranks and sometimes, it could be fatal. Never give her any chances or you will regret it. Never!” On this section, I even left an asterisk to indicate that it is important information.
“I almost believed it, you know. Can you not joke about these matters!” Alright, I admit that I totally believed what she said.
“Actually, I also don’t quite know myself. Back then, when both sides were crossing fire, I returned back to Xuanlu Forest. When I returned, there was already no one I could recognise there. However, she should either be a descendant of you or Karwenz. In any case, she is a descendant of Mist and besides, after a few hundred years, the bloodline should be very diluted by this point, so does it make a difference?”
TL: Xuanlu -> Melody. The pronunciation should be sh-uean lui (around there)
There is a great difference! The difference is whether I am a 300 year old well-qualified archmage or not!
Alright, saying this would mean self-exposing my scandal, as well as that my love life hasn’t progressed a single step in the past 300 years. I am not that foolish.
“It should be Karwenz, after all, compared to you, that child is…”
There is no need to elaborate further on it. I know that Karwenz is more popular than me but please stop rubbing salt on my wounds.
Then, the familiar body scent starts closing in on me and big sister Kelly hugs me once more.
“If you’re missing your beautiful memories, then we just have to create more of them. I love my cute little Roland the most…”
Despite having just reunited, I was already hugged 3 times. Instantly, I understood what the side note of ‘beware of being treated as a bolster’ means.
“Big Sister Kelly, I’m no longer a little kid.”
I’m a little touched by her excessive warmth, but even more so, what I felt is being at a loss. After all, of the beautiful ladies that I came into contact with in the past, half of them were trying to kill me while the other half was hiding daggers beneath their smiles. A beautiful lady hugging me with kind intention, it was something that has never happened before. On the contrary, it left me with no idea how to react to it.
Suddenly, Kelly laugh evilly and edges forward. Then, she sticks out her tongue and licks my ear lightly.
The sudden soft sensation on my ear caused my entire body to shiver in an instant. Then, feeling lightheaded, I quickly retreated.
“You… What did you do?”
Even without looking into a mirror, I know that my face is definitely intensely red at this moment. This time, I have been completely exposed.
“Despite having the exact same reaction as in the past, you still claim that you aren’t a kid anymore. After so many years, it looks like the love life of little Roland is still a complete blank. I have seen the Time Distortion Ring of the Saint before. We Wood Elves are the Elves who are the most sensitive to life. Ascertaining the age of an ancient tree through touching it is the most basic race talent of our race. Judging from the smell, your actual age is different from that your outer appearance shows. Do you need me to guess your real current age?”
I clasp my hand together and raise them to indicate my surrender. Normally, I am the one who land others into trouble. Today, I managed to meet someone who is able to subdue me totally. Is this the experience of an elder? But again, it was so easy for me to trick the Queen of Banshees.
“Hmph, stop underestimating others. I watched you grow since you were still a baby. Those little tricks of yours are useless against me.”
It looks like it isn’t just the difference in ages and experiences. What is even more crucial is her understanding towards me while my understanding towards her only stops at data and books.
Suddenly, seemingly unhappy with my sudden gaze of wariness, she hugs me once more.
Just when I was looking warily at this woman who loves to prank others, I heard a whimper from the back of my ear. On my shoulders, Kelly starts to sob once more.
“Too much, smelly Land Land. To actually forget me. To think that I have been missing you all along, worried about you and yet, you only talk about official business with me. Don’t you know how to care for me? Let me hug you for a moment, just a moment. Wuuuu, stupid Land Land.”
Hearing the sobbing behind my back, I was left motionless yet again. Different emotions filled me in an instant and yet, I am still at a loss of how to react.
I can ascertain now that this woman who is like a mother and a teacher is definitely the nemesis of my life. I would rather solo an evil Dragon then to guess what she will do the next second. In the end, I could only helplessly allow her to do as she please. Just this one hug, she hugged me for an entire 10 minutes.
“Little Roland is also around the age which you can become an adult. If it is Roland, I am okay with it.”
Even after she finally let go of me, the casual and flirtatious jokes makes one unsure of whether she is being sincere or not.
However, looking at the green-haired Elf who is smiling from the depths of her heart despite her swollen eyes from all the crying, I found another reason for me to continue trying hard.
Then, 10 minutes later, a sudden blaze overwhelms the temporary embassy of the East Mist Communal Country. It seems to be the actions of the extremists who are unhappy with the Princess Knight rejecting Darsos’ proposal. 20 minutes later, escorted by a team of East Mist Royal Knights, the princess and her Court Mentor found a new living quarters — The 3rd storey of a western mansion.
“Welcome to the base of the mercenary band Absolute Gentlemen Alliance. We will provide you the most reliable security and the most caring customer service.”
Big Sister, Older Brother etc all seems so awkward, would you all prefer me to use jie, mei, di, ge in this cases? When I keep using big brother big sister, it makes it seem as though all of the characters are little kids. Also, there are different variations to the big brother big sister and depending on the variation, the tone are different. For example, when Annie calls other people, she goes with the full term jiejie gege, which makes her seem young. On the other hand, adults normally go with a more casual one like Kelly-jie, which shows her seniority and the closeness of their relationship.