Chapter 565.1: Choice (1)
Chapter 565.1: Choice (1)
Looking at the multicolored crystal and the glowing scepter, Roel suddenly stiffened up.
He released a burst of mana inside the tightly-guarded hall, expanding his senses to determine the voice’s origin. He had suddenly put his guard up, not just because of the familiar voice that had appeared out of nowhere but the content of the message too.
Begin? Begin what?
Roel clenched his fists as he instinctively sensed that it wasn’t anything good. Meanwhile, Adola tilted her head in confusion.
“Milord? You…”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
Roel shook his head after a moment of silence, choosing not to explain his outburst. Adola and the others didn’t pursue the matter, either. It would have been a grievous crime if it had been anyone else, but it was okay because it was him.
This incident caused him to suddenly lose interest in the scepter, and he decided to return to the Mother Goddess’ room.
Peace finally returned to the Moonsoul Tower.
Roel sat on a comfortingly warm jade chair with highly strung-up nerves, almost reminiscent of a spear about to be thrust forth or an arrow about to be shot. His mana furiously gushed within his body like a beast that couldn’t be soothed.
He had even sent Adola out to get some time to himself.
All this while, he had always maintained a skeptical attitude about the mysterious voice he had heard right before the assassination. This was the only mystery he had yet to solve thus far, and he suspected that it might be an important clue for him to break the current status quo.
Who could have thought that this clue would be far larger than he had expected?
You have done well. We’ll begin two days from now.
The fact that those words were spoken at the very moment he laid his eyes on the divine scepter that controlled the Six Calamities gave them a lot of weight.
Roel settled down in a chair and quietly gazed at the distant horizon for an entire afternoon, till a knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts.
“What’s wrong? Didn’t I say not to disturb me?”
“Yes, milord, but something happened… The Mother Goddess has returned,” Adola reported apologetically.
“!”
A jolt ran through Roel’s body. He spent a few seconds in deep contemplation before he slowly rose to his feet and walked to the door.
…
Roel and the Mother Goddess had spent a lot of time together following the assassination attempt, which led to the two of them becoming much closer.
It had become normal for the two of them to show concern for each other. There were even times when the Mother Goddess hugged him for an afternoon nap when his soul was in an unstable state.
Frankly speaking, Roel found it terribly awkward for an adult like him to be treated like a child, but his complaints were far too quickly quelled whenever She looked at him with eyes filled with maternal love. There was no winning that.
With the sentiments they carried for each other, not to mention that they were soul kin, it would have been hard for them not to grow close.
Since he learned the truth of the world, there was a growing determination in Roel to not make the Mother Goddess upset or disappointed anymore. Sia had only gone through so much because She wanted to pass down Her powers to Her most beloved child. Had it not been for that desire, She probably could have found a more reliable solution to shoulder the burden of the world.
He felt a pang of guilt whenever he thought about how the Mother Goddess had landed in Her current plight because of him and his ancestors.
In the banquet hall, the silver-haired woman looked at the unusually reticent Roel with a worried frown. She felt like She should say something, but Her lips opened and closed in hesitation as She struggled to find the right words. It was a long moment before She finally spoke up.
“I heard that you visited the God’s Envoy today?”
“Mmhm.”
“You also paid a visit to the High Elves’ quarter to take a look at the scepter?”
“That’s right.”
“…I see.”
The Mother Goddess’ attempts to initiate a conversation were cut short by Roel’s placid replies. Their dinner continued in this slightly awkward atmosphere.
Almost reminiscent of a mother who had her hands tied when faced with her child’s rebellious phase, the Mother Goddess didn’t know why Roel was in such low spirits and how She could lift his mood.
Sensing Her careful glances, Roel finally snapped out of his low spirits.
“I saw many things today… The scepter looks mystical.”
“Yes, it’s very different from other weapons. I forged it out of moonlight.”
“I heard that the only ones who can activate the scepter are You and the chief of the High Elves. Is that a safety precaution?”
“It is, but you should be able to activate it too,” the Mother Goddess replied with a smile that looked as if She was boasting about Her close relations with Her child.
“…”
Roel’s eyes flickered. It was just as he had expected.
“Aren’t you curious as to why you are able to activate the scepter too?”
Perhaps because Roel had remained silent for too long, the Mother Goddess followed up with another question. Roel spent a moment in thought before answering the question.
“Is it because of the Crown Origin Attribute?”
“That’s not wrong, but there is a deeper reason behind that. You have a connection with them.”
“There is a connection between me and the God’s Envoys?”
Roel blinked in surprise. Now that he thought about it, he had never asked the Mother Goddess about the Six Calamities.
The Mother Goddess nodded.
“The God’s Envoys are the powers I have prepared for you.”
“For me?”
“You are unable to fully inherit My powers due to the limitations of what your soul can bear. To compensate for that, I picked out for you a few formidable powers that you can easily influence through the Crown. They are currently the God’s Envoys. It’s just a pity that the plan never came to fruition,” the Mother Goddess said with a sigh.
With that, Roel finally understood why the Crown Origin Attribute could curb the Six Calamities, as well as the reason behind the formation of the Crown’s Stones. However, his complexion only further darkened upon figuring out the truth.
The Mother Goddess noticed the change in Roel’s expression and hurriedly corrected Herself.
“Roel, don’t think too much into it. I don’t mean to blame you.”
“Hm?”
“I don’t regret having come up with the Succession. I just… regret not having done better. Perhaps that’s the reason I keep talking about the past. I’m already more than satisfied to have you accompany me like this.”
“…”
Roel felt something tingle in the innermost depth of his heart.