Chapter 359: An Abrupt Invitation
Chapter 359: An Abrupt Invitation
The pink aurora shone through the window to cast its glow on the pink-haired lady and the armored figure, shrouding them in dreamy lighting.
Perhaps due to the loud festivity, the fight that had broken out in the Eirbower Duke’s mansion hadn’t affected the other parts of the city. Magic fireworks were still going on here and there, sustaining the vibrant atmosphere.
However, the air inside the room seemed to have frozen due to William’s words.
What’s going on? He recognizes me?
Roel’s golden eyes dilated in disbelief upon hearing William’s words. It made him put up his guard against the latter.
It was only normal for Roel to be able to recognize William as he had played Eyes of the Chronicler before, and the latter’s appearance was so unique that it was impossible to overlook him. However, the same didn’t apply vice versa.
Roel was no international star. He had never been to Knight Kingdom Pendor, and he had no association with the Cambonyte Royal Family either. One had to know that the Sia Continent was an un-globalized world devoid of the conveniences of modern information technology, such that even Nora, one of the central figures of the Genesis Goddess Church, wasn’t known worldwide.
Roel was no more than a landed noble. Why would William go to great lengths in order to find out what he looked like? Not to mention, his current state…
To be fair, the Ascart House wasn’t exactly a nobody in the world either, so it wasn’t impossible for someone to take the trouble to acquire a portrait of him and remember him. The only problem was that his appearance was currently that of an eight-year-old.
There was a group of people outside who had also successfully recognized him despite it being their first meeting, and they were the disciples of the Saints Convocation.
Roel took a step back to where the Golden Soul was splattered all over the ground as he shot a sharp look at the duo in front of him. William sensed the wariness behind Roel’s movements, so he spoke up to clarify.
“I must have frightened you. Allow me to reassure you that I mean no harm. Roel Ascart, I am your friend.”
“Friend?”
“That’s right. If your condition hasn’t affected your memories, you should be able to remember the warnings we have sent you.”
“!”
Roel was shocked to hear those words. He was reminded of the nightmares he had during his journey to Eirbower. Noting his reaction, the pink-haired lady picked up a notebook on the table and quickly wrote something down with a quill before raising it up to show him.
Run
That was the warning that he would always hear near the end of his nightmare.
“Ah! Were you the one who spoke in the dream?” exclaimed Roel in astonishment.
“…”
The pink-haired lady nodded in response. Roel fell silent, but his tense nerves had finally loosened a little.
Just as he had previously deduced, the warnings were indeed informing him that the Saints Convocation was after his life. It was just that he didn’t expect those warnings were sent from William’s side, with whom he had zero interactions with.
Judging from the signs, it should be safe to say that these two are indeed my allies… but why?
Goodwill rarely comes without reason. Sometimes, people do help one another when it’s convenient to do so, but not to such an extent.
William and the others appeared to be on his side, but what was their reason for that? What kind of ulterior motives did they have in mind to help a complete stranger?
Roel directed questioning gazes toward the two. The armored William swiftly caught his drift and began explaining.
“My name is William Cambonyte, an adopted son of the Cambonytes, Knight Kingdom Pendor’s royal family. This young lady here is my friend, Teresa. You must have a lot of doubts in your mind, but I ask you to trust us. Like you, we are the inheritors of an ancient will.”
“Inheritors of an ancient will? You’re referring to…?”
“… The Twilight Sages Assembly.”
“Ah?”
The moment Roel heard the familiar organization name reverberating from the black armor, he felt his mind going blank. He could hardly conceal the shock on his face.
Ever since he learned about the existence of the Twilight Sages Assembly, this was the first time he was hearing this term from anyone else in the current era. Naturally, he understood the implications of it too.
“Y-you all…”
“That’s right. We’re the descendants of the Twilight Sages.”
“!”
Those words of confirmation surprised Roel, but at the same time, he also got a feeling of ‘As expected’.
The Twilight Sages Assembly was an organization made up of the heroes and experts in their respective eras, and the identities of its members were kept highly confidential. Even if the organization was now dissolved, it was unlikely for it to be a complete wipeout. It was possible that some of them or their descendants were still in contact with one another.
He had such a thought for a very long time now, but he wasn’t able to find anything despite his continued investigation into the Twilight Sages Assembly, leaving him with no choice but to doubt his own conjecture. However, William had verified his guess today.
The knowledge that there were people like him still existent in this world excited Roel, but of course, he couldn’t trust William’s words just like that. He suppressed his emotions and began questioning her.
“You are descendants of the Twilight Sages? How would you prove that? It’s not just our allies who know about that name in the present era; our enemies do as well.”
“Indeed, the Saints Convocation does know about the existence of the Twilight Sages Assembly, but I dare bet that they don’t have this.”
The armored William took off his metal gloves to reveal a bracelet wrapped around his surprisingly fair wrist. The bracelet looked like a jewel with a hint of golden, but it had a color gradient reminiscent of the adamantine amber.
“This is the Radiant Bracelet the Twilight Sages Assembly used for their selection procedure centuries ago. It serves the same purpose as the adamantine amber you wear around your neck. You must have managed to get into contact with Chronicler. Since that’s the case, you can easily verify the authenticity of my words by asking him.
“Wait a moment, you know Chronicler?”
“I do. We received intelligence a year ago that there were evil cults looking into Chronicler’s whereabouts, so we paid him a visit to warn him. I guess that you have met him afterward?”
Roel was suddenly reminded of Ancient Treant Kayde mentioning something along the lines of a mysterious woman paying him a visit to warn him. Putting it together with what he was hearing now, the woman was probably one of William’s subordinates.
The corroboration of evidence dispelled Roel’s doubt, and the atmosphere in the room loosened a little. There was a moment of silence before William continued his speech.
“Awakener of the Ascart House, I’d like to assure you once more that our goals are aligned. Your awakening came as a pleasant surprise for us; it has been far too long since someone of your lineage awakened. We only learned of your existence after your enrollment in Saint Freya Academy.
“When we learned that evil cultists were after you, we wanted to find an opportunity to come into contact and protect you. Unfortunately, we have been unable to ascertain your location, so we could only attempt to relay a message to you through Teresa.
“Her ability is a little peculiar, so it might have caused you some inconvenience. For that, do accept my earnest apology,” said William.
“Don’t say that. We might all be descendants of the Twilight Sages, but you aren’t obliged to offer me assistance. I’m grateful for the help you have offered me thus far. Miss Teresa, right? Allow me to thank you for the warnings you have sent me for the past fortnight.”
Roel quickly shook his head at William’s words before bowing graciously toward the pink-haired lady. Teresa widened her eyes in surprise as her head went green—it was 100 Affection Points. She quickly grabbed her notebook and wrote down a few words. She raised her notebook up and bowed several times in a fluster, seemingly deeply flattered by Roel’s remark.
It’s only right for me to do so
Roel gently smiled at Teresa’s response. He felt a surge of warmth into his heart. Chuckles also reverberated from William’s thick armor upon seeing their interaction.
“It looks like the two of you are getting along well.”
“Yes, Miss Teresa’s generous assistance has truly helped me greatly.”
I have put Mister Roel through hardship due to my incompetence to use my ability properly. I apologize for that
Teresa quickly wrote down a new line of words in her notebook and lowered her head apologetically. Roel reassured her that it was all fine, but at the same time, he suddenly thought of a problem.
He was certain that he had heard a young lady’s voice in the dream, but the real-life Teresa hadn’t spoken a word thus far, choosing to instead communicate with him via writing.
Could this be…
“Miss Teresa… could the reason why you aren’t speaking now be due to the side effects you have incurred from relaying those messages to me?” asked Roel worriedly.
However, Teresa quickly shook her head in response, and William answered the question on her behalf.
“Roel, you need not worry about that. Teresa is a powerful spellcaster of the Hextongue Guild. She avoids speaking to avoid trouble; it isn’t due to the price of her ability.”
“I see. That’s a relief.”
I’m fine. Thank you for your concern
Roel smiled upon seeing those words. The atmosphere in the room also finally took on a soothing vibe. William observed the harmonious atmosphere between the two of them and pondered for a moment before nodding determinedly, as if he had made up his mind.
“Mister Roel, may I ask you something?”
“Of course. Speak your mind, Sire William.”
“… We would have usually waited a while longer before approaching this topic, but I feel like it’s an arrangement of fate that we chanced upon one another here. So, I decided to say these words in advance.”
William straightened up his already upright posture and looked at Roel with a solemn atmosphere coming from him.
“Mister Roel Ascart, I’d like to invite you to join us.”