Chapter 201: Ancestral Blessing, V

The emperor’s eyes, magnified by his spectacles, were drawn to the words written at the top of the paper.

Pledge…?

He swiftly skimmed the contents.

Seeing the emperor’s wavering pupils, Louis spoke up.

“From now on, the Empire must never fail to repay its debts. We must survive until the last and fulfill our obligations.”

The emperor, overwhelmed by Louis’s resolute and hardline voice, felt all hope slipping away.

Louis turned away from the emperor and scanned the assembled nobles.

“If any of you harbor ill intent towards the imperial family and wish to become the new emperor… Go ahead. No, please do. I’ll be perfectly fine with that. It just means another source of income for me.”

Louis was issuing a clear warning:

You want to be emperor?

Then go ahead, if you must.

But remember, you’ll be treated just like this emperor.

Louis continued his admonition:

“Oh, and if the current imperial family falls, I’ll simply install another emperor. So our dear emperor… you’d better step up your game.”

If you let our emperor remain unchecked, you’ll all end up just like him someday.

The nobles trembled at Louis’s brutal warning.

The current imperial family…must never fall!

It must endure for generations to come!

After all, otherwise one of them would be next on the sacrificial altar.

“Do I make myself clear?” Louis asked.

The nobles frantically nodded their heads off.

Seeing their reaction, Louis pushed the pledge over to the emperor.

“What are you waiting for? Sign it already.”

“…Very well.”

There was nowhere left to retreat. With tears in his eyes, the emperor pulled out his seal.

I’m sorry… my descendants.

The extravagance the imperial family had enjoyed for years would end with his generation.

Thud!

The emperor’s seal left a clear imprint on the pledge.

“Then, sire, you must stay healthy,” Louis replied with a smile as he tucked away the signed pledge.

That day, Louis perfectly executed his threat of turning the imperial family’s fortunes for nine generations. This marked the birth of the poorest-ever imperial family in the history of the Winter Continent.

Meanwhile, Louis exited the royal palace and ascended to the highest point of the islet. A broad grin spread across his face.

Once the vanquished imperial family of the Winter Continent would now serve as a money-making machine for him. And not just for one generation, but for all time.

From here on out, every descendant born into the imperial family would have to live a frugal existence…

So what’s the big deal?

If there was any fault to be found, it lay solely in being born to such despicable ancestors. As for their impoverished state—that was merely relative to their previous life of luxury.

Despite their supposed poverty, their lifestyle was still far more luxurious than that of ordinary commoners. Louis nodded contentedly.

It’s all coming together nicely.

What had started as an impulsive response to theft, driven by sheer frustration, had surprisingly concluded far more neatly than he’d anticipated. Over nearly eleven months, the number of whole body worshippers had skyrocketed, successfully spreading throughout various regions of the Winter Continent. Money from the Empire was being reinvested into recruiting new followers, and these converts would, in turn, express gratitude for the grace of their gods through offerings.

Though still in its infancy, this self-sustaining cycle of gold would eventually give the Pantheon’s influence dominion over the entire continent.

And once that happened…

That power would be mine too.

The original narrative’s conclusion remained a mystery. Just as mysterious was how this crisis would unfold.

In such circumstances, having influence over an entire continent would be immensely beneficial.

“Ahhh!” Louis stretched his arms wide.

“I’ve sorted out most of the issues here. Shall we start preparing for our departure?”

Although they had been staying in one place for quite some time due to various matters, their current outing was both a precaution against the future and a leisurely journey. Additionally, they planned to scout locations suitable for the construction of a lair.

“Before that, though… we must settle our remaining debts,” Louis said with a smile. His figure then vanished into thin air.

Louis’s sudden appearance made Lokan VII’s eyes go wide.

“You’re leaving?”

Louis nodded. “Yes, but not completely … I still need to travel around the world and see certain things.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I want to pay my debt.”

“…”

Lokan VII’s face showed that he knew what was coming.

The last time, Louis promised to fulfill any wish after resolving the issues with the Snow King and the Empire.

Since then, Lokan VII had observed the Empire’s situation deteriorate indirectly thanks to Louis. It frightened him.

What could this cult leader possibly want?

But it was a promise they no longer had the standing to renounce. Lokan VII heaved a resigned sigh. “What do you desire?”

“Some extra hands, for starters.”

”…?”

“Why that look?”

“People? What do you mean by ‘people’?”

“Our dear Pablo here has been groaning every day about running to the brink of collapse…” I muttered to myself, “Seriously, even I can tell he’s on the edge of keeling over.”

Pablo had been trying to handle everything Louis had created by himself. Drawing on his experience as the kingdom’s son-in-law and thus having had some exposure to running a kingdom, he had diligently tried to sort out Louis’s mess. However, there were limits to what one person could do. As the power and influence of their Order expanded, so too did the pile of tasks awaiting attention.

Within the sect, there were those who tried to assist Pablo, but what help could they be? They were more skilled with a blade than with paperwork. It was fortunate if they didn’t hinder his work.

One day, as Pablo’s hope continued to fade, he drank heavily and tearfully clung to Louis, begging him to save him.

The result of that encounter was the current meeting between Louis and Lokan the 7th.

On the other hand, Lokan the 7th listened to Louis’s story with disbelief. “So… you’re asking me to find people to handle the administrative tasks?”

“Yes.”

“Is that… truly all you require?”

“Well, aside from that, it would be helpful if you could assist us with various matters concerning our sect.”

“Hmph…”

A sigh escaped from the lips of Lokan VII.

Finding talented individuals to assist with administrative tasks? Gradually lending a hand to the Order’s activities? Compared to Louis saving the Kanburk Kingdom, these requests were nothing but a freebie.

If it were indeed possible to settle debts so easily, King Lokan VII could only feel grateful. His emotions were clearly visible on his face.

“I’d be more than willing to do that!”

“Please send them as soon as possible. Before Pablo ends up in a coffin.”

“Of course! I’ll immediately dispatch people tomorrow! The most capable ones I can find.”

“That would suffice.”

“Ha-ha!”

The king burst out laughing with joy.

Louis’s eyes narrowed at this reaction.

“Isn’t it excessive to be so delighted?”

“Umm… huh…”

“Lah.” Lokan VII cleared his throat as if embarrassed, recomposed his expression, and turned to Louis.

“Priest… why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do you help our kingdom so much?”

“Well, you’ve often called us allies and asked for our assistance before, have you not?”

“That’s true, but…” Lokan VII’s face grew awkward.

It was true that if it weren’t for the Priest, their kingdom would have fallen. The Kanburk Kingdom owed great debt to the Priest and his Order.

Seeing the gratitude in the king’s eyes, Louis discreetly turned away. His gaze swept over the picture frames lining the wall of the king’s private office.

The framed portraits hanging on the walls of the administrative office depicted the kings and queens of the Kanburk Kingdom throughout history.

Louis’s gaze lingered longest on one particular frame.

The young prince and princess…

Their images were still vivid in his memory. In the portrait, the royal couple stood hand in hand, their faces radiating warmth and contentment. Next to them was a depiction of Lokan the First, who bore a striking resemblance to both parents.

For a moment, Louis gazed at the two frames. Then his eyes focused on a small picture within the frame of the young prince and princess. It was no larger than a palm, yet the image of three children standing together was captured with remarkable detail.

There was a child with white hair. Next to him were silver-haired twins.

Below that was a line of text:

In memory of the fairies who brought us precious happiness…

Louis tore his gaze from the frame and turned to Lokan VII. The young man bore a striking resemblance to his great-grandparents, the former Crown Prince and Princess. Louis smiled warmly at him.

“Why did you help the Kingdom of Kanburk?”

Louis’s smile grew broader.

“I would say it is due to having such admirable ancestors.”

“…?”

Lokan VII blinked, clearly puzzled by this response.

Ignoring the confusion behind him, Louis rose from his seat. As he was about to exit through the door, something occurred to him, and he paused.

“Oh, since you’ve been so gracious in settling your debt cheaply, allow me to ask one question.”

“Ask away.”

“I’ve heard the Kingdom of Kanburk is incredibly wealthy. They’re spending astronomical sums of money—over 200 years—to build the Great Wall of Calun…”

”…”

“Where on earth is all that money coming from? No matter how I think about it, I can’t see where such riches could exist in this tiny kingdom.”

“Um…”

Lokan VII grappled with Louis’s question before letting out a slight sigh and opening his mouth.

“I shouldn’t reveal this information… but given the debt we owe your seer, I’ll make an exception.”

“Oh? Is there really something? What is it?”

“Have you heard any rumors about the source of our kingdom’s wealth?”

“There’s an answer amongst them.”

“Excuse me?”

“King Lokan I discovered an ancient underground waterway filled with astonishing treasures during his youth.”

”…”

“I’ve heard that there was a major earthquake a few years before Lokan I found that place… Perhaps the earthquake caused the ancient buried treasures to flow out through the groundwater, don’t you think?”

Louis blinked.

A treasure from ancient times?

Why did a memory from the past flash through his mind the moment he heard those words?

He asked with a wry smile:

“Come on, those ancient treasures from the era of the War of Immortals… surely they couldn’t be that old?”

”…?!”

Louis hadn’t forgotten the words of Lokan VII.

“Wh-what are you saying…?” He tried to feign ignorance, but Louis didn’t miss how his eyes betrayed him.

“Is it really there?” Louis was just as bewildered.

He rushed over to the map spread out on the table.

“Could that ancient relic be located at…”

Tap.

“No, not here, right?”

“…?!”

Lokan VII’s face hardened at the sight of where Louis’s finger was pointing. He turned away slightly.

“I… I have no idea what you’re talking about, Pastor.”

His trembling voice gave him away despite his words. The location of this ancient treasure was the greatest secret held by the Kanburk Royal Family, known only to a select few.

How did Louis know about such a secret place? It was no wonder his voice was trembling.

Realizing this, Louis inwardly screamed:

‘I should’ve known…’

It was true?!

The secret source of Kanburk Kingdom’s wealth… is the treasure from the Hero King’s Tomb that I failed to secure?!

The tomb, destroyed in a collapse, had buried an incredible hoard of gold and precious gems. What Louis had thought would never be recovered had been discovered by Lokan I and was now being used to create a defensive barrier against the Mahae. In a way, the treasure of the Hero King’s Tomb was being used as the hero king had intended: for the greater good.

Louis sighed.

I guess there is no other owner of the treasure…

It seemed the true owner of this treasure was the Kingdom of Kanburk. Who could have anticipated that such vast riches were buried so deeply?

But that’s beside the point.

Louis’s feelings at the moment were simple:

Damn it…

The saying goes that buying land makes one’s stomach ache. And now, thinking of how the Kingdom of Kanburk was taking away treasure he couldn’t even touch… it made his gut churn with envy.

Louis let out a deep sigh before speaking up.

“Your Highness… be grateful you have such wise ancestors. Really…”

If not for them, Louis would’ve plundered their treasury himself.

With those words hanging in the air, Louis glanced around lasciviously, his eyes betraying his hunger for riches, as he departed the palace.

A few days after Louis had paid his visit to the palace of Kanburk, a giant hover-craft was detected near the outskirts of All Body City.

Seeing something familiar after so long, Pablo asked with a nostalgic look in his eyes.

”…What’s that?”

“It’s the Dragon Fly 3!”

“But didn’t you make the version 2 sometime ago? Why is it only at version 3?”

“How often do I even walk or ride a carriage? I just made it because I was bored.”

“I suppose…”

Pablo nodded in understanding.

Louis was always zipping around using space movement at the drop of a hat.

If not for Louis’s decision to enjoy this journey step-by-step, the Dragon Fly 3 would never have seen the light of day.

Noticing Pablo’s wistful gaze towards the Dragon Fly 3, Louis grinned mischievously and asked.

“Why don’t you come along too? Want to join us?”

Pablo flared up at this question.

“N-no, I can’t! I need to watch over the order here!”

“Come on! I brought people from the Kingdom of Kanburk, so it’s fine, you know?”

“But shouldn’t there still be somebody here who knows the existing work? I-I’ll stay here!” Pablo desperately resisted, reflecting on his past actions.

I enjoyed my travels with Louis?

Once upon a time, upon his return to the Winter Continent, he had indeed believed those words. But now, he suddenly realized this: memories were most beautiful when they remained just that - memories.

Seeing that he was about to be dragged away as well, Pablo hastily changed the subject.

“S-so where are you heading this time?”

“The west. I plan to take my time, strolling through places I haven’t seen before and revisiting old haunts across the Winter Continent.”

“Haha, then I suppose I should step aside for the youngsters. You two have a good time…”

“Hey, I’m younger than you, old man!” Louis retorted, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Pablo averted his gaze, trying not to meet Louis’s mirthful stare.

Yes, go ahead and work hard here, Louis thought to himself. I’ll come fetch you when I need you.

As Louis pondered this, the voices of those already aboard Dragon Fly 3 rang out:

“Louis, hurry up!”

“Let’s get going! Departure!”

The twins leaned out the window, urging him to make haste. Though they didn’t say much, their impatience and excitement were palpable.

Dragon Fly 3 was parked at the platform, while Lavina and her daughter Nabi marveled at its interior.

“Come on, Louis!” Fin waved her hand from inside her jacket pocket. “We’re going to be late.”

Just like in the past, their journey was beginning here once again. But with different members from before, they were embarking on a new quest.

“All right, I’m coming!” Louis patted Pablo on the shoulder. “Call us right away if anything happens.”

“You got it! Leave it to me while you enjoy your trip!” Pablo cheerfully waved them off.

With that, the Dragon Fly 3 roared to life and began lumbering westward, much like the horse-drawn carriage they’d ridden many years ago.

Pablo, who had been watching this whole scene unfold, shouted…

“Is it gone…? It’s gone, isn’t it?”

As the distant Dragon Fly 3 disappeared into the horizon, he raised his arms triumphantly.

“I’m freeee at lastt!”

Pablo’s joyful cry echoed across the winter sky.

Of course… only time would tell how long that freedom would last.