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Chapter 133: Grant me permission...
Inside the throne hall, only King Douwin, Queen Alsanda, and Aldrian’s group remained. King Douwin trusted his wife, so he allowed her to stay and hear their conversation. His gaze rested solemnly on Aldrian, his heart racing. The man in front of him is a fucking monster!
"Is his appearance one of the signs of the impending disaster foretold by the Heavenly Direction Church?" King Douwin wondered.
Without looking at Duke Valiard, he sent a voice transmission. "Duke Valiard, do you know anything about him besides his name?"
The duke, still processing the situation, felt lost. He was aware of the exchange of voice transmission between Aldrian and the king, but not the contents, so the sudden question caught him off guard.
"I don’t, Your Majesty. He’s been secretive about his origins. What I do know is that he comes from the north and has lived with his elder sister, one of the women standing behind him, since childhood. Is something wrong?" Duke Valiard hesitated to mention Aldrian’s connection to Aldrey Flamecrest, as Aldrian had asked him to keep it private. To Valiard, Aldrian was not only a benefactor but perhaps even a friend, and he didn’t want to betray that trust.
"Did you know he’s only 15 years old?"
"What?!"
Duke Valiard’s reaction mirrored his own surprise, confirming to King Douwin that the duke hadn’t known this detail either. Such questions sometimes slipped through their mind, with people often guessing a person’s age based on their cultivation and appearance. The king didn’t fault Duke Valiard for his ignorance.
As for Duke Valiard, he was beyond shocked. His eyes widened as he stared at Aldrian. What the king didn’t know was that, aside from Aldrian’s exceptional blacksmithing skills, he was also a swordsman with a remarkable mastery of swordsmanship. Duke Valiard was even more stunned than King Douwin—like many others, he had assumed that someone with Aldrian’s level of swordsmanship had to be at least 100 years old!
"I ordered everyone to leave the hall because I sensed that our conversation would turn toward something significant," King Douwin began, his voice heavy with solemnity. "But first, are... are you sure you’re not using some forbidden technique or anything of that sort?" he asked Aldrian.
"What do you think, Your Majesty?" Aldrian responded with a smile.
King Douwin sighed and glanced at the destroyed Orb of Origin.
"He’s right. There’s no way that kind of energy could come from a forbidden technique. That golden energy—it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s pure, even holy. My own energy trembled for a moment in its presence," the king thought.
"Do you have a master guiding you, or some kind of assistance in your cultivation? This is hard to believe—no, my mind is still reeling from what I witnessed. Even if you had a master, a 15-year-old High Earl cultivator is simply beyond the realm of possibility. No matter how much of a genius you are, there’s no way to reach this level of cultivation in just a few years. Not even if you had begun cultivating in your mother’s womb!" King Douwin’s voice was filled with confusion and disbelief. He was trying to keep his composure, but the situation was simply too shocking.
"Relax, Your Majesty," Aldrian said, soothing King Douwin as he gently enveloped the king in his golden energy. As the energy spread across his body, the king felt a warm and calming sensation, washing away all his negative emotions. Although it only lasted for a moment, it was enough for him to regain his composure. King Douwin exhaled a long breath before looking at Aldrian again.
"There’s no way this kind of energy could come from a forbidden technique," he thought again.
Aldrian did the same for Duke Valiard, who looked on the verge of collapse. The golden energy steadied him, preventing him from falling under the weight of his shock. Once they both regained their composure, Duke Valiard looked at Aldrian with wide eyes, his voice filled with disbelief.
"You’re really only 15 years old?!"
"Yes, I am. What age did you think I was? I thought it was obvious from my youthful appearance."
"You... You... Never mind." Duke Valiard shook his head, still trying to process everything. Turning to the king, he added, "Your Majesty, I think I need to tell you about the first time I met him and how he came to me."
Duke Valiard then recounted the story of his first encounter with Aldrian, when Aldrian had asked him to repair his sword to the moment where they created the Eternal Spirit. He shared every detail, except the ones Aldrian had asked him to keep secret.
When Duke Valiard finished, the expressions on King Douwin and Queen Alsanda’s faces were a sight to behold. Aldrian could see the king go through a range of emotions before finally accepting the reality before him.
"Aldrian, you truly are a monster. There’s no one like you, I have to admit that," King Douwin said, then turned to Duke Valiard. "And you are quite bold for revealing one of our kingdom’s greatest secrets to a stranger, someone you’ve only known for a short time. Normally, that would be considered treason, and I would have no choice but to execute you... but for now." He paused, looking back at Aldrian.
"Aldrian, now that you have your sword, what is your purpose here? I know you wouldn’t still be in the kingdom unless you had another reason."
"Your Majesty is very perceptive," Aldrian replied with a smile. "Yes, actually, after hearing about the disappearance of Duke Valiard’s elder brother, I have another reason to stay in the kingdom."
King Douwin’s expression tightened at the mention of his old friend. "What are you thinking, Aldrian?" he asked, his voice more serious.
"Your Majesty, during my journey, I uncovered evidence that the devils are devising a grand plan for the entire continent," Aldrian explained. He proceeded to tell them about his findings from his journey, from the Ivory Empire up until now, including an artifact possibly created by the dwarves, capable of concealing the presence of devils, even from high-level cultivators.
King Douwin, Queen Alsanda, and Duke Valiard listened in silence, their expressions solemn as they took in the gravity of the situation. They were beginning to understand the larger picture, but it also brought with it an uncomfortable realization.
"Do you think... Mardred Valiard betrayed us by colluding with the devils?" King Douwin asked, his voice strained. Based on everything Aldrian had revealed, it made sense to suspect that Mardred’s disappearance might be linked to the devils’ schemes, a possibility they all hoped wasn’t true.
"At first, I admit he was the most suspicious person on my list," Aldrian began, "but after hearing Duke Valiard’s story and learning about the disappearance of the Divine Sword’s blueprint, I need to confirm something. There might be more to his disappearance than we think."
"We only have the symbol that Mardred left behind before he disappeared, a symbol none of us have seen before." Aldrian continued.
"So, what do you suggest, Aldrian?" King Douwin asked.
"Grant me permission to examine the symbol, your majesty. I may uncover something the royal investigators overlooked. No offense, Your Majesty, but it’s possible Mardred left a clue, hoping that someone—perhaps even from outside the kingdom—might recognize it. That’s my hypothesis," Aldrian explained, knowing that the symbol was familiar to him from his past visions.
King Douwin fell into deep thought, the room growing silent for a moment as he considered Aldrian’s request. Finally, he looked up.
"Very well. I’ll allow you to see the symbol in our treasure vault." Aldrian smiled at the decision, but the king added with a stern expression, "But be careful. Don’t wander too much in that place. This is a warning."
"Of course, Your Majesty. I am only a guest here—I wouldn’t do anything to cause myself trouble," Aldrian replied in a reassuring tone.
King Douwin nodded and glanced at Aldrian’s group.
"There’s no need to worry," Aldrian said. "They are my trusted allies, and they’re already aware of the situation."
Then follow me," King Douwin instructed, leading them out of the throne room. They proceeded to one of the dimly lit rooms heavily guarded by royal guards before passing through a narrow passage that could accommodate only two people side by side.
"Watch where I step and follow my exact path," King Douwin warned as they walked. "The traps here are deadly enough to kill even a High Emperor stage cultivator. This place was built by our ancestors, a testament to their wisdom and mastery in crafting."
They continued, carefully walking the intricate trap-laden passage for about fifteen minutes before arriving at a small hall with a massive double door.
As they reached the entrance, Aldrian inspected the door with his senses. He immediately detected a complex mechanism embedded with defensive artifacts. The door was thick and heavy—so formidable that even a Middle Emperor stage cultivator would struggle to move it.
King Douwin approached the door and inserted his fingers into the designated holes placed along its surface. He infused his energy into it, and after a few seconds, the sound of intricate machinery whirred from within. The double doors trembled before slowly opening, revealing the vast interior.
As the doors fully opened, a powerful aura of countless treasures swept outwards, surprising Aldrian and his group.
"Come in, the symbol is this way." King Douwin said, gesturing forward.
