stonecrandall Page 209
Page 209
There is only one exception: Warrior of Light!
This is an "honorary title" that has never been issued in a long time, not even before the establishment of the Kingdom of Kur, not even during the period of powerful empires or the period of territorial division and royal instability. It is a title that is at the pinnacle of human warriors.
If we had to pinpoint the origin of the title "Warrior of Light," we would trace it back to ancient times, to the dark ages when goddesses were silent and heroes were absent, to the ancient heroes who led humanity through hardships and survived desperate situations.
*Gulp!* Erwin swallowed hard.
Yes, that's right.
The issuance of this medal signifies only one thing:
Dane Brando's strength and virtue are already incredibly close to those of the great ancient warriors! One step further, and he becomes a "hero"!
A true hero!!!
A brave individual may be a leader of their time, but a hero is a shared hymn to all humanity!
Every contribution made by ancient heroes to mankind is engraved in history. Even if a kingdom rises or falls, it will be recognized by the next generation of kingdoms and even mankind. Their contributions are no less than those of true heroes, but not every hero can leave behind heroic achievements!
And now, Dane has clearly taken the first step!
Erwin's hands trembled. He never expected that the Kingdom of Kur would produce two figures in succession who would be known as the newborn light amidst repeated setbacks.
One of them is Moss, the "Duke of Light," who is deeply loved by the people of the capital and adored by everyone!
The other is Dane Brando, the "Warrior of Light" who is gradually making a name for himself and whose fame is spreading throughout the kingdom!
In fact, there is also Astrid, the strategist of the kingdom and the light of humanity, who holds the "Key to the Kingdom's Night".
However, in this era, Ota has decided to completely conceal it in the shadows. But once the war between humans and demons has subsided, the great achievements of the great scholar Astrid will surely be spread throughout the kingdom in the most dazzling way!
Of the three figures, apart from the first one, Duke Moss of Light, whose name was slightly controversial but whose voice disappeared with the birth of Pope Tonk, the other two were both of impeccable lineage and absolute core members who had withstood the test of the kingdom!
The Kingdom of Kur... does it really have such a bright future?!
In an instant, Erwin's eyes welled up with tears. A deep sense of patriotism surged in his chest. He knew that Dane's investiture was absolutely well-deserved, and this would be a momentous event no less significant than the birth of the Hero of Light!
He was now eager to present the medal to Dane... but he knew that Prince Ota had summoned him today for more than just an award presentation.
Erwin carefully wrapped the medal in the exquisite mahogany box brought by the waiter, then knelt on the ground without getting up.
Ota sat at the table and rubbed his temples. "The Holy Church will conduct the relevant assessments of Pope Tunk and Saintess Lena. As for Chief Lak, all I can do now is to give him a new magic tower before he returns."
"And the great scholar Astrid, this battle has fully proven her right to hold the Key of Night in her kingdom. The only one left... is our hero of sin, Shana."
Erwin's shoulders trembled, feeling a slight numbness.
Who would have thought that the hero, who was entrusted with the kingdom's hopes and was the core figure in the entire battle to defend the capital, and for whom everyone devoted their efforts, would secretly disappear when no one was paying attention?
"It's been a month, Erwin, haven't you found Shana yet?" Ota asked softly at the desk, his tone devoid of any emotion.
Erwin was sweating profusely. He quickly looked up and said, "Your Highness! The Holy Knights of the capital have searched the entire capital for the past month, but they have not been able to find a trace of the Heroine Shana. It is speculated that she may have secretly left the capital not long after the incident that day."
"This is ridiculous!" Otto suddenly slammed his fist on the desk in anger.
"Doesn't she know how serious the rumors will be in the kingdom after the hero's disappearance following the blessing ceremony?! She already didn't have a good image in the eyes of the people because she inherited the titles of evil and sin! Now, the people of the kingdom have deep opinions about this hero, and it has even affected the previous hero, her brother Mino!"
"What is she planning to do, sneaking out of the capital all by herself? What could she possibly do?! — Is she going to brave the Path of the Hero? Or perhaps slay the Demon King?! How naive!!!"
Ota's chest heaved violently, unable to calm down for a long time.
Erwin didn't know how to appease the king's anger, so he could only remain silent.
"Brother Ota, don't be so angry." At this moment, a gentle voice entered the study with elegant steps, and a dignified and pure-looking long dress stood in front of Erwin.
"Shana is still a child, and it's normal for her to have her own ideas. I believe that one day she will truly take on the responsibility of being a hero."
"Right now, let's give her more understanding and patience, okay?"
Kalia slightly lifted her long dress and curtsied, her pale golden hair cascading down her back, exuding royal nobility and elegance, a stark contrast to the ethereal and holy aura she possessed on the day of her blessing, when she had white hair and rabbit ears.
The hero who saved the capital was right before him, and she was also his own sister. Even Ota could only slowly calm his anger and said with some helplessness:
"Kalia, I understand the logic, but... that can only be done after we find Shana..."
"She's Mino's sister, that's true, but now I've discovered one thing she and Mino have in common: once she disappears from our sight, somewhere, something earth-shattering is highly likely to happen!!!"
Thinking of this, Otta said somewhat dejectedly, "In this respect, my dear friend often brings me memorable surprises."
“In the past, Mino was always protected by Chief Lark, which prevented any major incidents from happening. But what about now?”
Looking at Kalia, Ota shrugged:
"We can't possibly expect Chief Lak to continue to bail out the second hero he's trained, can we?"
Chapter 304 Famine and Miracle
“Brother, it won’t come to that. Shana is already a true hero,” Kalia said after thinking for a moment.
"She might have something important to do before she left, just like Chief Lark."
"Regardless, the hero's disappearance will have a significant impact on the kingdom." Ota sighed, then turned to Kalia at the desk and asked:
"Let's not talk about that, Kalia. You don't usually come to the study unless there's something you want to tell me."
Kalia pursed her lips, a hint of hesitation in her eyes, and was about to speak when she said, "Actually, recently..."
"Your Highness, something terrible has happened!!!"
The hurried footsteps of Minister Tus broke the gentle atmosphere in the room, like a sharp alarm bell ringing in the study.
"What's wrong, Tus?"
Ota's eyes narrowed as they fell on the stack of emergency communication documents clutched tightly in Tus's hand. As his right-hand man, Tus would not be so shaken unless faced with a major and difficult event.
Tus glanced nervously at Elwin and Kalia in the study, and after confirming that they were the most important figures in the kingdom, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and handed the report to Prince Ota.
As expected, after quickly glancing at it a few times, Ota's expression turned to one of unprecedented shock:
"—Famine has struck the entire kingdom? What's going on?!"
Prince Ota's expression immediately turned serious as he carefully reviewed the urgent communications from all over the kingdom, especially those concerning several territories with vast farmlands and fertile lands that were now suffering from drought and disease at a time when a bountiful harvest was expected!
If this continues, the kingdom will face an extremely severe famine! Even with the grain in the national treasury, it will not be enough to sustain them! It's as if the calamities of ancient dark legends have descended upon the world once again!
"Why did such an unnatural disaster happen? Who was behind it? Could it be the work of those demons again?!"
Otto was furious.
“It shouldn’t be, Your Highness Ota.” Tus hesitated for a moment, knowing that the prince needed a clear analysis right now:
"None of the nine great demons wield such terrifying power, and even the great demons are not capable of unleashing a disaster that affects the entire kingdom."
"According to our urgent investigation, the famine seems to have shown subtle signs as early as four months ago, but no one paid attention at that time. It should have broken out much earlier, but fortunately, the goddess's blessing brought abundant blessings to the whole land some time ago, which slightly alleviated those symptoms."
"But now, a month has passed, and the famine continues to worsen. Only now have we realized that the entire kingdom is facing the same disaster!!!"
He gripped the report tightly in his hand, and Ota's eyes sharpened, becoming menacing: "Four months ago..."
His kingly intuition immediately alerted him that this disaster was definitely not a natural calamity, but rather another dark force that had been lurking in the shadows for a long time.
Four months ago, news of Mino's capture and capture at the Demon King's castle spread throughout the kingdom!
“Are they mercenaries from other places…? No, even the border areas of the kingdom are affected, and the timing of the famine outbreak is unusually consistent, indicating that it was completed at the same time, which is more like the work of monsters… But since the appearance of the Goblin Sage, there shouldn’t be any…” Ota frowned, completely unable to figure out who the real culprit behind the incident could be.
Regardless, finding a way to deal with the disaster is the most urgent matter right now:
"Tus, immediately summon clergy, royal scholars, life priests, and experts in herbal medicine and agriculture to form an investigation team. Escorted by elite paladins, they will travel to the territories most severely affected by the famine to investigate and find the root cause of the problem and a solution! It must be done quickly!"
"Furthermore, immediately send the specific information and intelligence to Archbishop Hope of the Holy Church and ask him if there are any rituals related to the goddess that can alleviate this famine!"
"The counterattack plan against the demons is completely shelved. The priority now is to resolve the famine! Understand?"
As Otta issued his decrees one by one, his mood was far from relaxed. He looked up, his brows furrowed with worry, a vague premonition creeping into his mind.
If this is indeed a long-planned conspiracy, then taking action now may be... far too late.
"Yes, Your Highness Ota, I'll do it right away!"
Tus nodded vigorously, as if he had found his pillar of support. His previous panic eased considerably, but little did he know that his prince was far less optimistic than he thought.
Ota slumped into his chair, rubbed his temples, and said to the two remaining people in the study, "Today's events must be kept secret. Erwin, finish your work first, then Tus will come to find you. And Kalia... is there anything you need?"
"No, no, it's nothing..." Kalia hesitated, unable to finish her sentence.
Seeing her brother's worried face, she ultimately didn't say anything.
Kalia and Erwin quietly left the study and closed the door, giving Prince Ota time to calm down and be alone.
"These are truly turbulent times," Erwin sighed softly. "If a famine were to truly break out, how many people would suffer from hunger and hardship..."
After a few sighs, Erwin knew he could only place his hopes on Tus. He bowed to Kalia and said, "Then, Your Highness, I shall take my leave."
Erwin turned around, his steps becoming heavy and hurried, leaving Kalia alone, standing blankly outside the palace.
"Famine, what exactly happened within the kingdom..." Kalia clenched her hands anxiously. As Ota's closest relative, she vaguely sensed the despair her elder brother was showing towards this disaster.
"Is there really... no hope of solving this?"
Kalia muttered to herself.
Outside, the clouds in the sky either piled up or drifted away, and the light shining down from the horizon seemed to freeze for a moment.
In the void, invisible fluctuations danced and spread across the blurred vision, and a faint murmur descended upon my ears, or perhaps it was echoing directly in my mind:
“Leah…Leah…”
"Here it comes again." Kalia held her forehead, feeling a dizzying sensation as the light, melodious voice rang out. She swayed a few times before regaining her balance.
Ever since the day the goddess blessed her, she has always heard such a call. She doesn't know what language it is, but she can understand it clearly. It seems to be calling her, but it doesn't seem to be.
Strangely, it seemed that only he could hear the voice; even his head maid, Lucy, who took care of him personally, could not hear it.
It was a gentle, warm female voice... giving Kalia a strange sense of familiarity.
Besides the name, the voice would repeatedly mention a word.
A hint of confusion flickered in her eyes. Thinking of the terrifying future that the famine might evoke, a powerful desire to avert disaster welled up from the depths of her heart. Leah instinctively opened her mouth and uttered the syllables representing those two words in Kur:
"Miracle--"
Chapter 305 He'll be adopted! He'll be the adopted son of the Grand Duke!
Standing there blankly for a long time, outside the study, Kalia gathered her thoughts: