Night World Players

Chapter 234 It's up to you to accompany her for the rest of her life (5k4)

The fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, warming the cold night of early spring.

"Frankly, Your Majesty, you are more candid than I thought."

Hearing Aaron's straightforward words, Rast smiled.

"I thought that given your status, you would have to talk to me for a long time first, showing off your power and majesty as a king, and then get to the point."

"In the Imperial Palace, displaying authority to my subjects and nobles, acting unfathomable... That's not my hobby, but my duty as king."

"A leader who can be easily seen through by his subordinates is not qualified to be king."

"However, in this Hailan Mansion, my identity is not that of an emperor."

"I'm talking to you as a father."

Aaron looked into Rust's eyes and said, "So, Rust, can you tell me your answer?"

"Do I have any feelings for Hiltina?"

At this moment, not only Aaron was examining him, but even Last was examining his own heart.

After a moment, he smiled.

"I do have a good impression of Xiltina."

"Perhaps this good feeling stems from our shared sympathy as idealists."

"Or perhaps even earlier, back in the harbor area of ​​Deep Blue Harbor, when I was gravely wounded and closed my eyes, awaiting death... I personally witnessed the starlight that burned the Iron Cross Wave to ashes—"

"That rapier user who shines like the morning star has a place in my heart."

Luster answered calmly.

"So, if I marry her, I naturally won't object."

"Even though I've reached the peak of the sixth level... compared to the Empire, it can only be described as insignificant."

"For example, Your Majesty, although you normally keep a low profile, once you wield the Holy Sword, even a Legend wouldn't be a match for you."

Aaron at this moment looked like just an ordinary middle-aged nobleman.

But in Rast's astral vision, the person in front of him seemed like an extremely black abyss, from which even light could not escape.

Last had only glimpsed this feeling in the echoes of the night world's history, from Xiao Ai transforming into the Angel of Judgment, and from the fleeting glimpse of the angel war at the end of the Sixth Epoch.

Although they belong to different sequences and ranks, and the authority and rules they wield are completely different... there is no doubt that they all possess the same status.

"Therefore, being able to marry Her Royal Highness, gaining the resources and support of the Empire, and gaining a huge backer..."

"For me now, this is naturally a good thing with only benefits and no harm."

"No matter from what angle, I can't find any reason to refuse Your Majesty."

Luster's voice paused slightly.

"but--"

"Everything I said has a prerequisite."

"That's Hiltina..."

"I want to."

……

"Laster, you are such an interesting guy."

Aaron couldn't help but laugh as he listened to Last's answer.

"It can be seen that you are indeed very similar to me, the same type of person."

"In your eyes, the so-called engagement is nothing more than a title... just like worldly laws and morals."

"You abide by worldly laws and morals simply because they're necessary for your daily lives, a camouflage to make yourself inconspicuous and appear harmless... But when the chips are down, these rules and regulations can't restrain you in the slightest."

"That's why you can work as a gigolo in a male escort parlor without batting an eyelid, pleasing female customers, even disguising yourself as a maid... Your soul has long been as cold and hard as steel. No matter what circumstances you find yourself in, no matter how you are treated, it won't shake that iron heart of scorn."

"If someone thinks that after you get married, they can use the names of 'father-in-law', 'son-in-law', or even an engagement to constrain you, forcing you to submit to their will and become their tool... then they will definitely suffer a great loss."

"Because deep in your heart, apart from that thing called 'ideal', everything else can be discarded without hesitation."

Aaron's voice paused.

He stared straight at Rast with his light brown eyes.

"But fortunately, from the very beginning, I never thought of recruiting you under the guise of marriage and tying you to the chariot of the imperial family."

"What I really want to change—"

"Only my own daughter, Hiltina..."

Aaron's eyes dropped to his chest.

"The imperial family of the empire has preserved and passed down the holy relic known as the 'Holy Sword' for generations."

"The power of the Holy Sword is self-evident. Even if the wielder is only at the sixth level, once the Holy Sword is unleashed, they can rival the power of a Legendary being... And if the one controlling the Holy Sword is already a Legendary being, they can directly possess some of the status and power of an angel."

"However, just as 'equivalent exchange' is the fundamental law of the transcendental world... since the Holy Sword possesses such immense power, its use naturally comes at a price. Every time the Holy Sword is unleashed, it inflicts a tremendous backlash on the wielder, inflicting damage not only to the body but also to the soul."

"Under normal circumstances, the soul trauma caused by releasing the holy sword can be slowly healed by the holy sword's scabbard - the distant utopia "Avalon."

"As long as the king does not unleash the holy sword too frequently, the wounds of the soul will heal under the nourishment of the scabbard, leaving no illness behind."

He tapped his chest lightly: "However, as a king, I was willful only once."

"I chose not to keep the Scabbard of Avalon for myself, but buried it within Hiltina's body."

"That child is so much like her mother: paranoid and inflexible, she always ends up hurting herself. I was worried she would repeat her mother's mistakes, so I buried the scabbard inside her, hoping to protect her from harm."

"However, the price of doing so is that I lose the protection of the scabbard. Every time I release the holy sword, the backlash and the irreparable trauma my soul suffers must be borne by me alone."

"Thus, although my power is indeed formidable, an incurable illness has long been left within my soul. When these hidden dangers lurking deep within my soul erupt, it will be the day of my death."

Aaron slowly turned his head and looked at the photo frame on the table.

It was a family photo. One of the people was Aaron, who looked much younger, and the other was Cecilia, whom Last had once glimpsed in the echoes of history.

In the middle of the two people was a little girl with chestnut ponytails, and a bright smile on her chubby little face.

This is Hiltina as a child.

Since meeting her, Rast had never seen Hiltina with such an oblivious and happy smile.

"As a king, I believe I have a clear conscience and can be called a qualified monarch."

"But as a father, I am undoubtedly unqualified."

"I didn't give Hiltyna a complete childhood, and with my current spiritual state, I can't accompany her throughout her life."

"So, Luster—"

Aaron fixed his gaze back on Lust.

"I hope... that you can accompany her through the rest of her life."

"With your company, she will gradually overcome her paranoia and stubbornness and return to a normal life... and not end up like her mother, facing the tragic fate she faced."

"In this case..."

"When everything is over, I will be able to have a clear conscience and reunite with her mother in Utopia."

"As for what you said about Hiltina's own wishes—"

Aaron's voice paused slightly.

He stared at the firewood burning in the fireplace, and his expression changed slightly.

At this moment, Aaron was no longer the gentle middle-aged nobleman he had been before, but had once again become the king who ruled the world.

"Hiltina."

"She will definitely agree, and she can only agree."

"She is my daughter, a member of the royal family - no one has a choice in the fate of the empire."

……

"In the Granville Empire, there aren't many formalities, and there's no need to choose an auspicious date."

"Since both parties agree to this marriage and have no objections... then your wedding with Hiltina will be held in the imperial capital in three weeks."

"This will be the most grand wedding in the entire Western Continent—" "Similarly, this will be the day that Hiltina first appears before the world as the 'Imperial Princess,' the 'Heir to the Holy Sword,' and the 'Future Empress.'"

The conversation between Rast and Aaron ended quickly, and both sides could be said to have had a great time.

It was not until Last left that Aaron slowly withdrew his gaze from the door.

He just stared at the family photo on the table for a long time without saying a word.

The entire mansion was silent, with only the crackling of the burning wood in the fireplace.

After an unknown amount of time, a burst of hurried footsteps approaching from afar broke the silence in Hailan Mansion.

The door of the mansion was thrown open suddenly, and the cold wind of early spring blew in from outside, dispelling the warmth emanating from the fireplace.

A girl with long chestnut hair stood at the door of the mansion.

Hiltina looked at the extremely familiar decorations and furnishings of the Hailan Mansion, and then saw the family photo on the table.

Finally, her gaze fell on Aaron, her beautiful light brown eyes filled with a complicated expression.

"Father."

"I heard from the maid at the mansion that Luster has come to see you, right?"

"As expected, you only come back to see me when it involves him...Hiltina."

Aaron's calm voice was devoid of emotion. "Yes, I've already talked to him."

"Last should be on the special train back to Star University now."

"So..." Hiltina pursed her lips: "What's the result?"

"Hiltina, you know Rast better than I do... You should understand that this so-called engagement is just a symbol to him. He isn't bound or restricted by it in the slightest."

"A proposal that has nothing but advantages for him and no disadvantages—he himself would naturally not object."

"Your wedding will be held in the imperial capital in three weeks."

Aaron slowly stood up and looked down at his own daughter.

"So, Hiltina—"

"Have you prepared yourself?"

"Marry Luster, and then inherit the Holy Sword..."

"Become my heir and the future empress of the empire—"

"The awareness of shouldering the fate of tens of millions of people in the entire Granville Empire."

Hiltina pursed her lips slightly, her chestnut hair hanging down slightly, making it difficult to see her expression.

Seeing this, Aaron's calm voice sounded again.

"Yesterday, I met a 'gravekeeper.'"

"If my perception is correct, it should be a quasi-angel."

"A quasi-angel... a gravekeeper?"

Hearing these two nouns that concerned her, Xiltina couldn't help but raise her head.

"Yes, a quasi-angel."

"As early as the legendary time, the mark of his fate was forever engraved on the 'Eternal Night Stele'."

"Thus, even though He has now transcended the realm of legend, His fate is still limited by that holy relic tablet. He cannot, like a true angel, traverse the long river of history and exist simultaneously in every moment of time, never again experiencing weakness."

"But, other than that, in terms of strength and power, He is already almost the same as a true angel."

"That gravekeeper quasi-angel told me that he went to the imperial capital this time just for one person—"

Aaron's voice paused slightly.

"That's the gravekeeper's nemesis, a human boy named Rust."

"The Gravekeepers have inherited the legacy of the 'Fool's Library' for countless generations, and now it resides in that young man... The two sides have a blood feud that stretches back eons, an irreconcilable sea of ​​blood. He calls him the 'despicable Fire Thief.'"

"And right now, that human boy is within the empire... If the Granville Empire is willing to hand that human boy over to the gravekeeper, not only will they gain the friendship of an ancient secret organization, but they'll also be willing to exchange him for a genuine holy relic."

"I replied that this matter was of great importance. Furthermore, it would take time to capture a high-level transcendent who disregarded prophecy and divination within the empire."

"I will give Him a clear answer in a month."

"Father!"

Hiltina looked at Aaron fiercely. "You're not... planning to hand Luster over to the Gravekeeper, are you?"

"of course not."

Aaron shook his head, his expression unchanged. "Even if you ignore the feelings of my two daughters towards him...Last is not affiliated with the Granville Empire now, but a member of the Starry University."

"If I dare to exchange Rust for the holy relic today... then tomorrow that ferret and the old principal will tear down the entire imperial capital."

"Yesterday, I had a brief fight with that quasi-angel."

"After witnessing the power of the Holy Sword, the gravekeepers will certainly not dare to act rashly, at least within the one-month period I promised."

"but--"

He looked down at his daughter. "What about in a month?"

"It's a blood feud that's lasted for eons, a battle of ideologies between the shore keepers and the grave keepers. It's a true fight to the death."

"Even if I choose to reject that quasi-angel a month later, He will definitely not give up... He will use every possible means to find Rast's whereabouts."

"That young man is currently at most at the peak of the sixth rank. Admittedly, he is very special, as if he possesses the protection of fate, immune to all prophecies and divinations, and he has always challenged opponents of higher rank—"

"But all of this means nothing to a mythical creature who has stepped halfway into the angelic realm... He will definitely be caught by the gravekeeper; it's just a matter of time."

Hiltina lowered her eyes and said nothing.

"I know what you're expecting... Both the former president of Starry University and the ferret like him very much. They definitely wouldn't let Luster be captured by the gravekeeper."

"But the ferret is still recovering and hasn't yet returned to its peak. It might be okay against ordinary legends, but it's a bit of a stretch against an angel."

"And the old principal is already quite old—they might be able to protect Luster once or twice... but how can they possibly protect him forever?"

"You know, being an assassin always has it easier than being a bodyguard."

Aaron looked down at the silent Hiltina with unquestionable majesty.

"If you don't marry Rast... then the Empire has no right to interfere in the war between the Shore Keepers and the Grave Keepers."

"It's impossible for a country to go to war with a secret organization that has been passed down since the Age of Gods and whose members are at least legendary, just for a young boy who has nothing to do with them."

"And if you don't inherit the holy sword, you'll either watch helplessly as your beloved boy is captured by the gravekeeper, or you'll follow the ranger's family motto: 'As a knight, as long as you have breath left, you must never let your companions die before you,' and stand in front of Luster."

"But with your sixth-level strength, perishing with him is the only outcome... This cannot be called bravery, but merely the blindness and stupidity of a moth flying into a flame."

"If you marry Rast and inherit the Holy Sword, everything will be completely different."

Aaron's voice, which was as cold as ice, suddenly softened a little.

"The Empire will not go to war with the Gravekeepers for an unrelated boy—but if he were the Queen's husband, then everything would be completely different."

"And, Hiltina, you are the one with the highest degree of compatibility with the Holy Sword among all the royal family members in the history of the empire. When you were seven years old, you triggered a resonance with the Sword in the Stone."

"Now, after more than a decade of nurturing and incubation within the Holy Sword's scabbard... your soul has completely merged with the Holy Sword, truly becoming one and the same."

"Once you inherit the holy sword, you will become the strongest holy sword wielder of all time—"

"With the power of the Holy Sword, you will open up a second long-stage sequence, called 'Imperial Power'... You will be able to ascend to Legendary status, or even become an Angel, in a very short time. Utilizing the advantages of 'Dual Sequences', you will quickly close the gap between you and other ancient angels."

"And then, you will guard Rast as his wife. No matter who plots against him—be they a legend or a quasi-angel—you will personally slay them."

Aaron looked at his daughter who had lowered her eyes and remained silent for a long time.

His voice contained a father's kindness, but more importantly, it was filled with the unquestionable majesty of a king.

"It sounds like the only option, doesn't it?"

"Hiltina, you can marry the one you love, and you can also gain the power to protect the one you cherish."

"Your task is to inherit the Holy Sword and become my heir... and bear the weight of the fate of tens of millions of citizens across the empire, commensurate with the Holy Sword."

"And the only price you need to pay is to give up your own paranoia."

"And give up that rigid, old-fashioned, inflexible, and foolish ideal called 'Ranger'."

(End of this chapter)