Night World Players

Chapter 245 Her and Him Two Years Later

"...Finally, fellow students, welcome to this academy blessed by the dawn and the stars."

"I hope that in the next four years you will be able to appreciate magnificent scenery, meet companions you can rely on, and spend a wonderful time that you will never forget."

"In addition, I wish you all good luck in your military endeavors."

We must all persevere and survive—

"Then, together we will witness the moment when the final night world is cleared."

"I believe that day is not far away."

After speaking, Hiltina gave a standard knightly salute to the audience before stepping down from the platform.

Below the platform, in the square where Starry Sky University was holding its opening ceremony for the new academic year, a burst of enthusiastic applause also erupted.

Countless freshmen who had just joined Star University cheered wildly as they watched that dignified figure walk down from the podium.

There was no way around it; Hiltina's reputation was simply too great.

The first princess of the empire.

The first Holy Sword Wielder in a thousand years to make that long-forgotten Holy Sword recognize him as its master.

The heir to the imperial throne, the future empress.

The youngest legend in recorded history of the Western Continent—

According to the speculation of many forces in the Western Continent, with the release of the Holy Sword's true name, Hiltina's status may have already surpassed that of a legendary being, giving her the qualifications to step into the realm of gods and rival a true angel.

Since that unfinished wedding two years ago, Hiltina has frequently attended various meetings and foreign affairs activities as a princess.

Her imposing figure, with its flowing chestnut hair, has become a symbol of the Granville Empire and Star University.

Countless people have been inspired by her and have set their sights on becoming extraordinary individuals.

It's unknown how many people came to Star University from all over the Western Continent because of Hiltina, following in her footsteps and becoming members of the Night Travelers.

The surge in new student numbers over the past two years has not only kept the previously leisurely and carefree academy professors busy, but even Dean Yin, an ultimate shut-in, has been forced to end his hibernation and take on a lot of responsibilities.

Recently, the university has even begun discussing a proposal to rehire Professor Barbarossa, allowing him to step down as the tower keeper of the Mystery Tower and return to the college as a professor.

In an era where even a reclusive ferret can be a dean, who says that Barbarossa, with his gorilla-like appearance, can't teach students?
Although Professor Barbarossa is well over 100 years old and has long since retired, isn't being several hundred years old precisely the age for striving?

……

"What a magnificent speech."

"Sister, you are becoming more and more like an empress."

As Hiltina left through the backstage passage, away from the bustling crowd in the square, Ophelia immediately greeted her with a beaming smile.

Two years have passed, and Ophelia has grown up a lot.

She has grown from that little doll-like girl into a graceful and beautiful fifteen or sixteen-year-old young woman.

She was wearing a pure white dress, and her long, light brown hair cascaded down her shoulders.

Compared to two years ago, when she was a delicate little girl, like a porcelain doll but lacking vitality in her crimson eyes, more like a doll than a real person... Ophelia's eyes and expression now appear much more lively, brimming with the energy and vigor unique to a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl.

"Sister, you have no idea how vulnerable those nobles in the capital have been lately."

Ophelia followed naturally behind Hiltina.

"They clearly hated us to the core, but they couldn't say it. In the end, they could only grit their teeth and relinquish their interests, returning all the power they had secretly seized over the years to the royal family."

Upon hearing this, a smile involuntarily appeared on Hiltina's lips.

Two years ago, perhaps it was because I heard Hiltina's greedy declaration that she would never back down, whether it was the ideals of the Ranger, the duties and mission of the royal family, or the love of her beloved.

Perhaps it was because he had witnessed firsthand the glory of Lastna shooting the tomb guardian quasi-angel that moved him.

In short, after that incident, the relationship between Aaron and Hiltina, the father and daughter, improved considerably.

Aaron no longer insisted on his previous point of view, determined to make Hiltina abandon her naive ideal of being a "Forest Ranger".

As the owner of the Holy Sword and the heir to the throne, Hiltina began to take on the responsibilities of an imperial princess.

Of course, this also brings about a series of chain reactions.

In the past, the nobles of the capital city had always been suppressed under Aaron's subtle political maneuvering and Ophelia's manipulation, suffering in silence.

Now that Hiltina's status as the first princess and heir to the throne has been officially established, Aaron has gradually stepped back from the limelight, no longer worrying about everything, and instead handing over a considerable portion of the monarch's rights and responsibilities to Hiltina...

The nobles in the capital thought they had finally gotten their chance. After all, Hiltina herself did not grow up in the royal family and had never received the elite education that a successor to the throne should have. She should also be completely ignorant of political maneuvering, alliances and power struggles.

Compared to the cunning Aaron and the politically astute Ophelia, who received royal education from a young age, Hiltina is undoubtedly a much easier opponent.

Moreover, Ophelia has always been groomed as the heir to the throne. Now that a brand new heir has suddenly appeared, it is only natural that conflicts would arise between the two princesses over the right to the throne. At that time, those opportunistic nobles can play both sides in this struggle for the throne and use it to seek benefits for their own side.

But soon, the nobles realized they were wrong, terribly wrong.

Admittedly, Hiltina, who had officially accepted the identity of the First Princess and begun to fulfill her mission as the heir to the throne, was still somewhat green at the beginning, and her skills and way of handling problems were not mature enough.

But having accepted the identity of a princess and shouldered that heavy responsibility, Hiltina, like a newly sprouted seed, quickly absorbed nourishment from the outside world and grew at an extremely rapid pace. The attacks from the nobles, as well as the initial failures and setbacks, could not defeat her, nor even shake her in the slightest... All the experiences of failure were transformed into nourishment to help her grow.

This allowed Hiltina to mature in a very short time, becoming a future empress with impeccable political skills and wisdom.

And the conflict between the two princesses over the right to the throne, which the nobles had speculated about, did not occur.

Despite losing her right to inherit the throne and becoming an ordinary princess, Ophelia did not harbor any hostility towards the king. Instead, she actively assisted her elder sister in handling military affairs.

Her obedient and sensible demeanor, like a capable assistant following behind her older sister, stunned the nobles who had witnessed Ophelia's true nature. They simply couldn't imagine associating the well-behaved and clever Ophelia of today with the dreadful little devil of the past.

What truly made those nobles give up resistance and choose to surrender was the news that Hiltina had broken through again in less than a year, advancing to the legendary level and truly ascending to the legendary throne.

Hiltina herself has already broken through to the legendary level, so what level can she reach when combined with that holy sword with 100% compatibility, which has completely released all the seals, and the "royal power" sequence contained within the holy sword?
Although it was a humiliating treaty that stripped away national sovereignty and forced the great nobles to relinquish every last penny of the benefits they had amassed from the empire over the years—

But the holy sword that grants true name liberation is placed before you; the question is, will you sign it or not?

……

Hiltina and Ophelia stopped at the end of the street, where a plain-looking car decorated with black eagle patterns was waiting for them.

After the two women sat down in the back seat, the driver started the car, and the black sedan drove them towards the end of the road.

"This is the Bureau's financial statement... I've already marked a few discrepancies for you, sister. The previous Bureau Chief was arrested for corruption just a year ago, and this new Chief is already up to no good. I think this department should be considered for elimination."

"This is a summary of military intelligence. All domestic cult organizations that were connected with the Tomb Keepers were completely wiped out a week ago. The second page contains a detailed list."

"This is a letter from the ambassador of the Holy Kingdom of France..."

In the back seat, Ophelia took out the political and military documents she had prepared beforehand and showed them to Hiltina one by one.

Although these government documents from across the empire had already been reviewed by Ophelia herself, with most of the unimportant content being filtered out, the Granville Empire was, after all, the largest human nation on the entire western continent—the remaining political and military affairs were still piled up like mountains.

By the time Hiltina had finally finished processing all the documents, the sun above the window had passed its highest point and was slowly sinking towards the west.

The scenery outside the vehicle was no longer the area where Starry Sky University was located, that golden plain where the wind blew the grass low and cattle and sheep could be seen.

Instead, the city's outskirts, in hilly areas away from the main roads, were replaced.

Hiltina gently closed her eyes, feeling the weariness wash over her like a tidal wave, engulfing her body and soul.

The path of a princess of an empire, and a monarch of a nation, is undoubtedly arduous and fraught with difficulties.

For Hiltina, it is truly more in line with her personality to fight as a night traveler, battling on the front lines in the Night World.

After all, in that case, no matter what kind of enemy appears in front of him, he only needs to cut them down with one sword... without having to manipulate power in the political arena and engage in hypocritical dealings with smiling nobles and politicians.

However, this was the path that Hiltina herself chose.

Whether as a princess of a nation, or the future empress, her mission and responsibilities;

It was an ideal called "the ranger" that he inherited from his mother;

Or perhaps it's that boy who holds a special place in your heart, the one you're willing to spend your whole life protecting, the one you don't want to see hurt in the slightest.

To avoid regretting giving up any of them at some point in the future...

Hiltina made a noble vow: "I want it all."

They decided to embark on this thorny path.

No matter what happens, even if what awaits me ahead is inescapable loneliness and devastation, it doesn't matter.

The hardships, obstacles, difficulties, and setbacks encountered along the way were all foreseen from the very beginning.

Therefore, she would never regret it, but instead, she carried all that burden on her shoulders and moved forward recklessly.

When Hiltina opened her eyes again, what came into view outside the car window was no longer the barren hilly landscape she had seen before.

Instead, there is a ginkgo forest with pale golden ginkgo leaves scattered around.

The car drove along a narrow path through a ginkgo forest, then slowly slowed down in front of a huge building.

This is a huge building filled with science fiction atmosphere. On the stone tablet at the entrance, the emblem of Star University and the black eagle pattern of the Granville Empire are engraved at the same time.

Hiltina put down the documents and pen in her hand and looked at the huge building in front of her.

She felt a deep-seated hope within her, a hope that was gradually emerging, dispelling her previous weariness and becoming indescribable yet incredibly vivid.

Similar in form to the Mystic Tower, this is a modern hospital built in cooperation between the Imperial Royal Family and Star University. It boasts the best medical facilities in the entire Western Continent and represents the highest level of medical care in the Seventh Era of human civilization. The proposal for this cooperative hospital was put forward ten years ago, but it was not officially promoted and completed until a year ago.

Hiltina is usually very busy, but never as busy as she is today, even during her commute and lunch break she has to make the most of every second to review documents.

The reason she scheduled all her tasks for the morning was to leave herself a full afternoon to visit the hospital.

This kind of afternoon is arguably the time Hiltina has looked forward to the most in the past two years.

Similarly, this was also the greatest motivation that enabled Hiltina to persevere despite the heavy pressure of her busy work, government affairs, attending events of all sizes, and engaging in insincere dealings with nobles and envoys.

Yes, the boy who was engaged to her two years ago, the boy Hiltina was willing to protect for the rest of her life...

At this moment, he is sleeping peacefully in a ward on the top floor of this hospital.

(End of this chapter)