Heir to the Kingdom of 1.4 billion people

Chapter 157 The Gift from Tamerlan, the Magician's Expectations
The Church of Dawn, the Treasury of the Blazing Sun.

After the incident caused by Tristan, Tamerlan finally arrived at the treasure vault.

Before him stood a colossal bronze gate, far beyond the imagination of ordinary people. The gate was nearly a hundred meters high and covered with a dark green patina, giving people a suffocating sense of oppression.

But there was only one paladin sitting on the steps in front of the door, pretending to be asleep.

Logically speaking, as the core of the Sun Church, where the church has stored its treasures accumulated over thousands of years, this place should be extremely heavily guarded.

There was only one paladin on guard right now, not even as many as the people guarding the church gate. The only guard was even slacking off and sleeping, which seemed unusually lax.

But Tamerlan knew that this was just a facade, because the paladin who was feigning sleep was none other than his godfather—the Cardinal Inquisitor of the Church of the Sun, the Paladin Commander of Ten Thousand, "Black Sun" Cliff.

He is also recognized as the most powerful figure in the church, having once achieved the remarkable feat of collapsing a mountain with a single blow in an attempt to mediate a war between two nations.

Tamerlan felt that if someone could break through his godfather's guards and force their way into the Sun Treasury, then the gain or loss of the treasures inside would be meaningless; the primary concern should be the survival of the entire church.

"Uncle Cliff."

Tamerlan walked up to the paladin who was dozing on the steps and bowed slightly respectfully.

The paladin slowly removed his helmet, revealing a face as majestic as a rock.

His face was like steel forged by time and war, with sharp features but not roughness. Several scars ran across his bronze skin, and his extremely rare black eyes held a deep sea-like calm.

He looked to be in his forties, but Tamerlan knew that because of his near-human limits of power, time passed much slower for him than for others.

Although Uncle Cliff was his godfather, he was actually a contemporary of his grandfather, the current pope.

At this moment, the dignified paladin looked at Tamerlan and slowly spoke:

"Tamerlan."

The blond youth immediately adopted a listening posture to his godfather's speech, but the other party's next words left him completely astonished.

"Do you want to be king?" Cliff asked calmly, staring into Tamerlan's eyes.

His tone wasn't joking; it was as if if Tamerlan said yes, he would be placed on the throne that countless people in the world dream of, and even dare not dream of.

"Uncle Cliff, you should know that I have no interest in power, and I have long since decided to dedicate the rest of my life to the great sun and the god of justice."

After a long silence, Tamerlan finally answered with a wry smile.

Of course, there was also the thought of serving His Highness for the rest of his life, he silently added in his heart.

Cliff didn't reply, but a hint of regret seemed to flash across his dignified face.

He then stood up from the steps. His muscular body, over two meters tall and clad in armor, gave Tamerlan a heavy sense of oppression.

This is not simply a difference in size, but a difference in the level of life, just as a lion will instinctively retract its claws when standing in front of a real dragon.

"Come with me."

Cliff turned around, placed his palms on the bronze gate, and then his arm muscles suddenly bulged out like writhing dragons.

Click click click.

The expensive iron armor he wore, specially made for paladins, groaned under the strain of his swollen muscles.

Then, an incredible scene happened.

The massive bronze gate, about a hundred meters high and of immeasurable weight, was slowly pushed inward by Cliff's own strength!

Only after the giant gate revealed an entrance large enough for one person to pass through did Cliff remove his hand and beckon Tamerlan to follow.

It's hard to imagine that if this terrifying force were to appear in battle, it would probably pulverize the enemy's body into countless bloody fragments in an instant.

However, this scene did not surprise Tamerlan; instead, it caused a hint of hesitation to appear on his face.

“Uncle Cliff, I am indeed here to exchange for treasures in the Blazing Sun Treasury, but would it be against the rules if I entered the treasury?” Tamerlan asked hesitantly.

As the core of the Church of the Sun, the Treasury of the Sun is reserved for the gatekeeper and the current pope, and even the cardinals do not have this privilege.

"It doesn't matter. If you don't want to be king anyway, then this church will be yours sooner or later."

Cliff said calmly, then, perhaps growing impatient, he raised his hand and gave the blond youth a perfunctory handshake.

In an instant, Tamerlan felt an invisible, immense force pulling his body, trying to drag him into the crack of the bronze gate.

However, the next moment, this immense force was countered by another force that suddenly emerged.

A message popped into Tamerlan's mind.

The Gift of Foresight: If the attack is visible, you can avoid the first attack.

Could this also trigger countless emotions?
Tamerlan's lips twitched, feeling that even he himself thought the effect of the Myriad Hearts was a bit too much.

How did you block it?

Cliff paused, a hint of surprise appearing on his face, even though the judge had maintained his composure throughout.

Although it was just a casual pull from him, it shouldn't have been something Tamerlan could have blocked so easily, considering they were two ranks apart.

"I have received a new blessing that will protect me from the first attack," Tamerlan told his godfather truthfully.

"You really are loved by the world!" Cliff said after a long silence.

Tamerlan then followed Cliff into the Sun Treasury.

The moment you step inside, a blinding golden light pours down like a flood bursting its banks.

The ground was paved with gold bricks, and even the walls were made of countless molten silver.

Firefly-level magic crystals, magic weapons recorded in history books, and extremely rare herbs—all these treasures were casually placed on the high platform, with the merit points required for exchange and a description of the treasure written below.

This is a treasure trove of the Church of the Sun over thousands of years. If it were all taken out, it could cause economic turmoil across the entire continent.

"Take whatever you like. You have 10,000 merit points, right?" Cliff couldn't remember, so he just gave a number.

Tamerlan then began searching the vast treasure trove alone.

With the thought that he could not disappoint his companions and lord, he carefully read the introduction on the high platform and repeatedly analyzed and deliberated on what kind of treasure would be most suitable for them.

After spending an entire day in the treasury from day to dusk, Tamerlan finally left the Blazing Sun Treasury, satisfied, carrying the three treasures with him.

"A spellbook, a gravity-based magical artifact, a sword technique perfectly suited to the female knight—you haven't taken a single treasure for yourself!"

Cliff recognized the type of treasure at a glance and said with a strange look in his eyes.

Upon hearing this, Tamerlan looked embarrassed. He subconsciously tried to touch the back of his head, only to find that his hands were covered with treasures.

"That's good. As a future leader, it's always good to make more friends."

Cliff shrugged, not pressing further, and instead gripped the latches tightly with both hands, slowly closing the massive bronze door. Only after the vault doors closed did the blinding golden light gradually dissipate.

"Tammelan, your life has been smoother than anyone else's so far, so your pursuits are also more noble than anyone else's."

"But reality is not a fairy tale. Even the most glorious places have some shadows. I hope that one day when you see the shadows, you can think carefully about why they exist."

When the two parted, Cliff made a pointed remark.

"Thank you for your guidance."

Although Tamerlan didn't understand what he was saying, he still bowed respectfully.

After all, in this world's cultural norms, one should treat one's godfather with even more respect than one's own father.

"You shouldn't have told him that."

After Tamerlan left, a cold voice suddenly rang out.

Suddenly, a short figure appeared beside Cliff.

He seems to always be there, yet he also seems to never be there.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the figure was actually a child who looked no more than eight or nine years old.

The child has short, bright golden hair, fair and delicate skin, and wrists as slender as bamboo joints.

He was dressed in an exquisite robe, which was predominantly deep purple with intricate gold patterns along the edges. It was incredibly luxurious, but on him, it looked like a child wearing adult clothes.

What is most striking is the boy's grayish-white eyes. Although he is a child, his eyes reveal a sense of world-weariness, as if nothing in the world can affect his emotions, just like an old man.

Saint Jordan Rhine, the immortal pope of the Church of the Sun, is believed by the world to have received divine revelation from the sun god and made a vow that he would never ascend to the Kingdom of God as long as evil against justice exists in the world.

Therefore, the sun god performed a miracle, granting the Pope of Jordan the freedom from the pain of aging and ensuring that his body would remain that of a child forever.

This is both a blessing and a curse.

“My grandson is very intelligent. He might realize something from what you’ve said,” the Pope said coldly, enunciating each word clearly.

“With his talent, he’ll find out sooner or later,” Cliff said calmly.

"People's views when they are young are often very different from, or even completely opposite to, those of middle-aged and elderly people."

"If he finds out now, he will inevitably cause some trouble. But when he becomes the support of countless people and his every move affects the fate of the entire clan, he will understand our good intentions."

The Pope's Way.

"This is the only time. If there's a next time, I'll turn you into an old man and show you what it feels like to be a ***."

"Tsk, that's terrifying."

Spark Hall.

Beneath the crystal dome, which reflects the endless flames of war like a celestial curtain, torches burn fiercely on the twelve prisms.

Xia Mingyu, Dorothy, and Haggex arrived here early, their faces full of anticipation as they awaited the arrival of someone, or rather, a gift.

Wow.

A figure enveloped in torchlight appeared before the three, and the blond youth slowly opened his eyes.

"Good evening, Tamerlan," everyone said in unison.

"Good evening." Tamerlan smiled slightly. He hadn't expected to experience the same treatment as His Highness today.

Seeing the expectant looks on his companions' faces, he dared not delay and quickly poured magic into the blue ring he was wearing.

Swish!
A beam of azure light appeared inside the hall.

Through the connection, things from the real world can also be brought into the Hall of Starfire, which seems to exist between reality and illusion.

Tamerlan first took out a thick magic book from the light cave and handed it to Xia Mingyu with both hands.

"Your Highness, this is a spellbook that records the ice magic of the Extreme Cold Purgatory. I hope you will like it."

Xia Mingyu took the magic book and opened it. The intricate magic diagrams drawn with magic crystal powder on the pages made his head spin.

He experienced firsthand the oppressive power of knowledge, just like when he first encountered advanced mathematics problems.

"Thank you, I really like this gift." Xia Mingyu took a deep breath and thanked him with a smile.

Immediately afterwards, Haggax and Dolores also received gifts from Tamerland.

Hagoromo received a magical bracelet called the Ring of Thousand Pounds, which can increase the gravity experienced by the user, and is undoubtedly very effective for a fighter to hone their physical body.

Dorothy received a sword technique manual, created by a very famous female knight in history.

Although Xia Mingyu didn't know anything about the female knight's life, judging from Dorothy's delighted expression, she was clearly very satisfied with the gift.

"Gentlemen, let us hold a banquet in honor of Tamerlan!"

After Xia Mingyu put the magic book into the connection space, he forcibly pulled the terrified Tamerlan to sit in the main seat of the bronze table, while he himself sat in Tamerlan's original seat.

Snapped.

After a snap of his fingers, a ripple suddenly appeared on the long table, as if an invisible divine hand had brushed across the surface, and countless delicacies suddenly emerged.

The whole suckling pig is roasted to a golden brown and crispy perfection, its skin glistening with honey-colored oil, and its belly stuffed with truffles and herbs. The lobsters piled on the silver platter have shells as vibrant as rubies, and sweet juices ooze from between their claws.
"cheers!"

Overjoyed, Xia Mingyu didn't drink lemon water this time. Instead, he picked up a glass of lightly sparkling wine and drank it all in one gulp.

Amidst laughter and joy, everyone in the hall enjoyed a sweet dream and slept soundly until dawn.

Meanwhile, at the apothecary at No. 13 Morning Breeze Street, Yud, who had worked through the night for fourteen hours and whose eyes were so dark they looked like a panda's, looked at the bottles of dark blue potions in front of him and let out a long sigh.

After spending so much time and feeling completely exhausted, he finally managed to concoct a small portion of the hundreds of ice crystal flowers into a magic potion.

Although he was very tired, he felt it was all worth it.

Tapping.

With the idea of ​​giving His Highness a surprise, he quickly packed the potion into a box, grabbed the box, and hurried out the door toward Red Fox Castle.

boom!
Perhaps because he was dizzy, he bumped into someone on the street not long after he started walking. Fortunately, the other person caught the box in time, preventing the medicine from being damaged.

"I'm so sorry, but thank you for your kindness," Yude said sincerely, looking up.

The man was dressed in a retro black tailcoat, a black top hat, and white gloves, looking just like a circus magician.

At this moment, the heterochromatic eyes under the brim of the hat looked at the monkey-faced pharmacist in front of him not with disgust or fear, but with intense interest and anticipation, as if he had discovered a rare treasure.

(End of this chapter)