Chapter 315: 166. A Minor Preparation (Part One)

Translated by A Passing Wanderer

Edited by RED

**

A chorus of loud roaring could be heard everywhere.

The Priests were singing a hymn in unison, and the Paladins were brandishing their weapons while shouting out at the top of their lungs.

The current location was a vast battlefield with deafening noises reverberating throughout the land.

In this place, Holy Emperor Allen Olfolse was raising his head high.

Below the cape flapping in the winds were twelve bone hands spreading open like wings. That brought the battle cries to a sudden stop.

Everyone on the battlefield was now paying their undivided attention to their Holy Emperor.

“The climax of the world’s destruction has arrived.”

The ground below was rumbling as the quiet hymn drifted in the air. The earth below their feet was faintly quaking.

The giants howled out monstrously as they continued to march forward.

“We’ve experienced far too many sacrifices to reach this point. Therefore… we cannot retreat any further.”

The Holy Emperor began walking forward, while the golden spear in his hand pressed against the ground. He reached the top of a hill where he stood tall, then pointed at the incoming horde of giants with the spear.

“We possess the necessary strength now.” As he spoke, sparks danced from the tip of the spear. He held his head high as he continued on. “Strength that no one can disdain.”

Divinity rumbled and vibrated all around him.

“We are the guardians of this continent…”

Golden Runes began igniting on his body one by one.

“And we’re also the inheritors of Gaia’s will.”

Divinity tore through the land and spread out everywhere, wrapping tightly around the feet of the Priests and the Paladins.

A woman with a striking head of silver hair raised her shield in one hand and brandished a sword in the other. Strands of her hair danced wildly as a robe and hood materialised purely through divine power enveloped her. Meanwhile, her sword was transformed into a greatsword of light, emitting blinding rays of light.

Another woman with golden hair took the lead in singing the hymn, while a young-ish man cracked his neck muscles before taking over the command of the artillery regiment.

The captains of the various Paladin orders roused up their divinity as well.

“In the name of our gods…”

The Sanctuary Declaration was performed on this land. Golden Runes were engraved on the armour of every single Paladin present.

The Aztal Rune’s effects were activated on everyone on the battlefield, turning them into Saints that transcended the limits of human beings.

“We shall judge these bastards-!”

The marching steps of the giants gradually sped up.

Paladins held their swords with both of their hands and raised them up high.

The Holy Emperor drew in a deep breath as the glow in his eyes under his helm sharpened considerably.

The tip of his spear touched the ground below as he broke into a sprint.

As he ran forward, a wild dance of sparks erupted from the ground gouged by the tip of the passing spear in his hand.

“Defend!”

Hundreds of cannons set up in formations began firing countless shooting stars into the air.

“And then, protect!”

The ground exploded and caved in.

“Because, we are the hope of all mankind-!”

The Holy Emperor leapt up in the air. The large hand of a giant reached out to him; the golden spear in the Holy Emperor’s grasp was swung hard towards the attacking giants.

It was right at that very moment that the whole world was suddenly filled with cracks, like a pane of broken glass.

The illusion shattered and air rushed into my clogged lungs.

I gasped and panted laboriously.

“Your Majesty!”

Charlotte sitting next to me hurriedly patted me on the back. She then used a handkerchief to wipe away the flood of cold sweat on my face.

My vision returned to take in the sight of the bakery, the place that I had brought Seran to.

While I was listening to her story, the twins allowed me to experience the Visual and Auditory Hallucination of the ‘future’.

I shifted my gaze and stared at Seran.

She noticed my gaze and said in a sad voice, “That’s as far as I know. I’m sorry. Sorry that I can’t be more of a help. But, this too, must be the divine will of the gods.” She didn’t try to shy away and directly addressed me, “That’s why we now know this one thing.”

The voice coming from her quietly-opening lips sounded confident and certain.

“You are our last hope, Allen.”

**

“Your Royal Majesty.”

Nobles, manservants and maids in the surroundings bowed their heads and greeted me. I walked past them while lightly waving my hand at them.

We were currently walking along the corridors of the Imperial Palace; Charlotte was accompanying me, while Seran and the twins were urgently chasing after us.

“The air around him changed.”

I could hear Seran’s quiet little whisper to herself, but I ignored it for now.

It’s changed, you say? Not really.

However, even I could tell that this crisis was incredibly grave. We could not afford to let this situation go by unanswered.

I called out to her, “Sister!”

Seran quickly walked up to me.

“Does His Imperial Majesty the Holy Emperor know about this matter?”

“Since my mother is having a meeting with him, he should’ve been informed of it by now, or at least some parts of it. But… there isn’t all that much he can do about it, in the end.”

“No, wait. There is.”

That’s right. There was something.

I clenched my teeth. It felt like veins were bulging on my forehead.

We arrived before the Holy Emperor’s audience chamber. The Paladins on standby were opening the doorway far too slowly, so I decided to not wait and simply shoved the doors open with both of my hands.

The sight of the long hallway greeted me. The high-ranking nobles and the members of the clergy were standing on either side. The Paladins recognised me and bowed their heads to welcome me into the chamber.

I shifted my gaze to my front.

Emperor Kelt was sitting on the throne. However, he was not wearing the usual ceremonial robe that the Holy Emperor should be wearing, but a regular traveller’s outfit that you might commonly find on people walking on the streets outside.

I could even see travelling bags behind the throne, while both Raphael and Oscal were donning similar types of clothing as their boss.

My eyes narrowed to slits. Was this old man planning to go somewhere? Maybe his thoughts and mine aligned?

I stepped forward and walked until I reached the foot of the stairs connected to the dais where the Holy Emperor and his throne were situated.

“Welcome back, grandson.”

He spoke in a voice that didn’t contain a single trace of the dignity befitting the Holy Emperor. No, it was a gentle voice that a grandfather would commonly use to talk to his grandson.

I took in his attire and asked, “Your Imperial Majesty, are you going somewhere?”

The Holy Emperor glanced at Seran and the twins behind me. Charlotte and the Ariana trio knelt down and bowed their heads according to accepted etiquette.

The old man smiled in contentment and replied to my earlier question, “Yes. I’m thinking of going on a trip.”

“…”

I knew it. He was thinking of the exact same thing as me.

There was only one thing that Emperor Kelt could do as he was now.

“For that purpose, the throne will be left vacant for the time being.” The Holy Emperor slowly stood up and caressed the throne. “Until that moment, I’ll leave it in your capable hands.”

He was practically declaring his intent to step down from the throne of the Holy Emperor and hand all authority over to me.

“…Your Imperial Majesty. I have Aslan to take care of.”

“Aslan is also now a part of the Theocratic Empire, isn’t it.” Emperor Kelt Olfolse stared straight at me and continued on. “This will be my last trip, so let me act immaturely for a while, my grandson.”

Hearing him say that made my entire body tense up. “But, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“If it’s too much for you, then I’ll leave it to Luan and White for a little while.”

“…As you command.”

It sounded like he had already made up his mind. I also didn’t have a reason or pretext to stop Emperor Kelt here.

The old man began moving. The first thing he did was to pick up the warhammer resting behind the throne. It was the treasured weapon that had been passed down through the generations of Holy Emperors, throughout the empire’s history.

Emperor Kelt stepped down from the platform to hand that weapon over to me. The treasure containing the power of [Lightning], just like Kelt’s own powers.

I silently received the warhammer.

It was imposing. Far heavier than I expected, too.

I had to hold it with both of my hands, yet the Holy Emperor only used one hand to push the heavy thing in my direction.

“Allen, I’ll leave everything to you,” the soft whisper came from him. A whisper that announced his intention to step down from the throne of the Holy Emperor.

I closed my eyes and muttered back, “…I understand, grandfather.”

Emperor Kelt guffawed loudly at my reply. “Well now. A journey after such a long time! Raphael, Oscal!”

The two old men followed after Kelt.

“Let us enjoy our adventures to their fullest extent!”

His laughter echoed throughout the chamber, and eventually, it grew further away.

The doorway of the Imperial Audience Chamber closed shut, leaving the stunned nobles, the clergy, and the Paladins inside. Their eyes were wide open, while their undivided attention was focused on me.

I didn’t find their shock all that surprising. After all, Emperor Kelt had just handed over the Imperial Family’s treasured tool to me in their presence.

The meaning behind that action was clear for all to see.

“The Holy Emperor, is it…” I slung the warhammer over my shoulders.

I began walking forward. Each of the steps felt quite heavy. Maybe, the weight was coming from all the burden I would have to carry in the future.

I settled down on the empty throne, and looked up.

The countless nobles present knelt down, bowed their heads, and offered their formal greetings.

I scanned them all, then quietly opened my mouth. “His Imperial Majesty the Holy Emperor, Kelt Olfolse, has vacated his position for a short while.”

The end of the world I saw in the twins’ illusion…

The absolute worst scenario where humanity was driven to the brink of complete annihilation…

“From this moment on, all authority will be passed over to me temporarily.”

We would get ready to counter that future.

“I, the Holy King Allen Olfolse, command you.”

In this place, the centre of the Theocratic Empire’s beating heart, I made my first declaration as its ruler.

“From this moment on, we shall stop the advent of Ragnarok.”