Talk With The Archbishop 1
"Which prophecy? Is it the one we already know about? Well, that one and the prophecy from the Evergreen world tree's spirit are almost the same, so maybe I'm connected to it," Aldrian said.
Emperor Ladwin gave him a bitter smile and replied, "I don't know the specifics, but besides the prophecy, it has to do with their church's secrets. They believe your energy is the key to something important."
Aldrian sighed and began to ponder. "Holy energy, huh? This is new. My energy has always made spirits and beasts react, but now there's this holy energy that's attracting the church. What exactly is this energy?" He felt as if he was starting from scratch again.
He had thought his energy would only affect nature-based creatures like spirits, but with the introduction of holy energy, it seemed to be something entirely different. The holy energy is a blessing from the higher entity. If elves receive their compatibility with nature, especially the forest and the powers they wield over it as a blessing from the Heavenly Tree of the World, then similarly, the members of the church receive holy power from heavens as a blessing for spreading the faith and will of heavens.
The holy power can neutralize negative energy and curses. Due to this trait, holy energy serves as the perfect antidote to devil energy and somewhat demonic energies. Given these characteristics, his energy not only reacts with spirits and beasts but is also intrinsically connected to the blessing of heavens.
"When they came to me, they said, 'Fate has brought us here,' and they knew that the person who defeated the hydra is somewhere in the capital. They also mentioned that he has 'the strongest and purest holy energy' and asked me to help them find that person. Although they indirectly inquired about your whereabouts, I believe they already know that the Evergreen imperial family has that person," Emperor Ladwin explained.
Aldrian began to ponder. He was now interested in meeting with the people from the church to learn more about his 'holy' energy. He needed as many clues as possible to understand what his energy was truly capable of. He then looked at Emperor Ladwin.
"So, will they be coming back, or what?"
"They are staying in the special district for outsiders, where accommodations have been arranged for them. They're very persistent, and sooner or later, I'll have to address them. It wouldn't be wise to ignore them, especially with the archbishop leading the group. That's why I'm asking for your opinion now. What do you think of this situation, and how would you like to proceed? If you'd rather not meet them, I can make up an excuse and let them be," Emperor Ladwin said.
"To be honest, your majesty, I'm quite interested in this holy energy they claim I possess. I don't know much about it myself, but perhaps they can provide answers and clarify how I'm connected to their prophecy," Aldrian replied.
"So, do you want to meet them?"
"I will meet them, Your Majesty." Emperor Ladwin then sigh and said to him,
"Alright, we'll arrange your meeting with them. I'll send them the notice after this," Emperor Ladwin said. If he were honest, he wasn't eager to introduce Aldrian to outsiders just yet. He was uncertain how things would unfold if they met, but the presence of the archbishop was significant, highlighting the importance of the church's interest.
After their conversation, Emperor Ladwin sent a notice to the church delegation, informing them that he had found the person they were looking for and that the meeting would be held at his workplace that afternoon. Aldrian then told Eleine, who was waiting with Princess Sylphia in the palace garden.
"The church, huh? You really are a magnet for all kinds of people, little brother." Eleine said.
"Well, what can I do? It's like fate made me a magnet."
"Aldrian, are you sure it's okay to just meet them like this? What if they want to harm you?" Princess Sylphia asked, her worry evident.
"It's okay, Sylphia. Even if they want to do something to me, I guarantee they won't be able to harm me here. Even if something unexpected happens, they won't be able to touch even a hem of my clothes. And I don't think they'd dare to try. After all, we're in the heart of the Ivory Empire." He spoke with a mysterious and confident smile.
When Aldrian said he wanted to talk to the church delegation, he had one guarantee: he was sure he could handle anything that came his way. He look at his information,
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Aldrian Aster
Domain : The secret realm, The Ivory empire
Age : 12 years
Cultivation : Peak Viscount
Current energy : 288,389 (+2 /15m)
Energy needed for the next stage : 320.001
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He successfully made the entire Ivory Empire his domain, as he had hypothesized. After integrating himself with the World Tree of the Evergreen, the area of its blessing, which covered the entire Ivory Empire, also became his domain. The changes within him were tremendous. Not only did his cultivation speed increase significantly, but he also occasionally experienced new visions about the unknown spirit. His mind became much clearer, and he began to gain deeper insights into his domain.
He couldn't yet sense the entire domain in detail due to his lower cultivation level, and he predicted he would be able to use the full potential of his Ivory Empire-sized domain once he reached the Grand Duke stage. He felt satisfied and ready to test his new power when the opportunity arose.
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A few hours later,
Not far from the World Tree lies a small district specifically designed for outsiders, including official delegations from other countries who wish to stay. This district features structures primarily made of brick, built to human standards for comfort and functionality. It includes facilities such as lodging, restaurants, taverns, artifact shops, trade areas, and more. In short, this is the only area in Evergreen City where outsiders can conduct their activities.
At this moment, inside a luxurious three-story inn, the church members prepared for the meeting. Among the group were two bishops, an archbishop, and four paladins. Among the paladins was Arthur Maximilian, serving as their escort.
"Your Excellency, what are we going to do if we confirm what Bishop Chris said is true? Are we really going to bring him to the main church immediately?" asked one of the priests.
"We will see to that, this mater already spread to all high ranking member in main church and they put high hope for this, I only hope this visit we will gain something even that is just gaining hope."
They boarded two carriages marked with the church's symbol and headed toward the imperial palace. The journey itself was not long, only 20 minutes, before they arrived. After briefly marveling at the unique architecture of the elven imperial palace once more, they were directed to the meeting place by the imperial guard.
When they arrived and the door opened for them, they saw a young boy sitting on a sofa, with a young human woman and a young elven woman standing behind him. They instantly recognized Princess Sylphia, but they were stunned by the presence of the other two. Even Arthur looked at them suspiciously.
"Are the elves trying to fool us?" he thought.
The others began to doubt Emperor Ladwin's intentions when the boy stood up and spoke to them.
"Welcome, esteemed guests. I understand your excellency wishes to meet with me. May I inquire what you desire from my humble self?" Aldrian asked the archbishop. In response, he received doubtful stares from the church members.
"What is the meaning of this?" one of the bishops asked, ignoring Aldrian and addressing Princess Sylphia, the only imperial family member present. With a serene expression, Sylphia answered them.
"The church is looking for the person who defeated the Hydra, and we have brought you the person who did it."
"A Viscount stage cultivator killed a King stage, three-headed Hydra?! Is the Evergreen Imperial family trying to fool us?!"
"Does His Majesty the Emperor want to humiliate the church?"
Voices began to rise from the church delegation. They felt the Evergreen Imperial family was trying to humiliate them and hide the true person they were looking for. The archbishop silently observed Aldrian's calm face but inside he was upset, as this was not what he had expected. He had come here hoping to meet their prophesized savior. What was the imperial family trying to pull off, bringing a young boy of Viscount stage as a substitute?
Arthur was also unhappy with the situation. He had expected to meet the person who unleashed the technique, but it seemed this trip would be a disappointment. Aldrian looked at them, saying nothing. Their reaction was as expected from those who didn't know him, but it also irritated him. His innate trait could not accept being treated as a scammer.
"Lower your voices, delegation from the church. You are in the imperial palace, not the market," Princess Sylphia said with full authority and dignity. The usually friendly and cheerful princess was nowhere to be seen, and this side of her made Aldrian's perception of her change.
"She is still the princess of one of the great empires, after all," he thought.
"What do you mean, your hig—" One of the bishops started to ask, but before he could finish his sentence, his voice suddenly disappeared and no sound came out. The others looked on in shock as they witnessed this.
"What are y—" Before another could ask, he received the same treatment. Their shock grew as all the surrounding energy moved as if controlled by someone, blocking their voices and making their bodies feel heavy. The archbishop trembled as he felt the pressure as though the energy itself was trying to crush him. A few moments later, the pressure was gone, and everything returned to normal.
"Now, can we talk?"