Chapter 232: Are You Willing to Marry My Daughter?
The sky had unknowingly begun to drizzle.
Just as Last stepped out of the carriage, an umbrella was immediately held over his head.
In the distance, court maids lined up in two rows, stretching from the royal train platform to the distant manor.
This scene, in Last’s eyes, carried a strangely familiar feeling.
“Come to think of it, I seem to have worked as a maid in some palace before… though it was inside the Historical Echo.”
Last couldn’t help but recall the time he served as Akxia’s personal attendant in the kingdom of the Underworld, within the Royal City of Paradise.
Ding-ling~
The faint vibration from the intelligent terminal in his arms pulled his thoughts back to reality.
Last gave an apologetic hand gesture to the maid leading the way ahead, took out the intelligent terminal, unlocked it, and checked the source of the message.
There weren’t many people within Star Cluster University who knew his intelligent terminal ID, especially at this moment. Those who would message him now could only be among the very few.
Indeed, it was exactly as Last had expected. The sender’s ID was 「Black Iron」——
It was Ingrid’s Nightblade name, also her codename within Star Cluster University and the military.
【A lead on the Gravekeepers organization has been uncovered】
【Two days ago, a member of the Gravekeepers entered the Empire’s territory from the border of the Holy Kingdom of Fran】
【It is speculated that this individual has most likely already entered the Imperial Capital】
【I tried using divination-type Crest Equipment and also hired an Extraordinary with a prophecy-type Nightblade to track the target… but all attempts at prophecy and divination failed, without exception】
【Initial judgment: the target’s tier likely exceeds the range of the Sixth Tier and has reached the Legendary Realm, rendering all prophecy and divination abilities below that level ineffective】
【I suspect the target is not just a lackey like the Bronze Rose under the Gravekeepers, but someone among their Upper Ranks】
【At present, the motive for coming to the Imperial Capital is unclear, nor is it known whether this individual has contacted the Imperial Royal Family…】
【However, since the target has already entered the capital, it means Star Cluster University is not far off. Please be on high alert】
Last’s gaze swept over the message, quickly digesting the contents on the intelligent terminal.
A Legendary… from the Gravekeepers?
By now, Last was no longer the greenhorn who had just stepped into the world of the Extraordinary.
Having experienced so many Historical Echoes as a Black Night Traveler and learned countless historical secrets…
The “Gravekeepers”, a mysterious organization once hidden behind the veil of history, was no longer unfamiliar to him.
Two figures instantly surfaced in Last’s mind.
One was the Legendary of the Bounty Sequence, Noah, who had been completely annihilated by Sisel during the Battle of the Fractured Coastline, his existence permanently erased from this world.
The other was the Gravekeeper Angel whom Last had seen not long ago downstream in the River of Time, on the final day of the Sixth Era civilization.
At that time, the other party had appeared on the End Day of the Sixth Era’s terminal moment, carrying the Eternal Night Stele, intending to inscribe the entire history and passage of time of the Sixth Era upon the tombstone.
However, their arrival had long been foretold by Grey.
Using this, Grey set up a trap and made her final wish to Fate—
Utilizing the power of the Eternal Night Stele, she opened up the Night World.
Though both confrontations ultimately ended in the Gravekeepers’ defeat… the power they contained was evident.
They were behemoths straddling the River of Time, usually hidden behind the curtain of history. Even ordinary Extraordinaries could hardly know their name… yet they manipulated the progress of civilization and the direction of history from the shadows.
Every time the Gravekeepers revealed themselves, it signaled upheaval in civilization and a historical turning point.
Each of their members was either an ancient who had survived since the Age of the Gods or an exceptional powerhouse of various eras.
Once one joined the Gravekeepers and inscribed their Soul Imprint upon the Eternal Night Stele, they would truly become ageless and immortal, a being with infinite lifespan… at the very least, a Legendary.
“The Gravekeepers walk the world once more. Looks like chaos is about to descend upon the Present World.”
“As for the reason behind their trip to the capital——”
“Could it be… because of me?”
A flicker passed through Last’s thoughts.
Since what he experienced in the Night World was not a mere instance projection but actual history… everything between him and Grey truly existed, then naturally, his intersection with the Gravekeepers was real as well.
Back in the Nether Abyss, he had thoroughly screwed over the Gravekeepers, acting as a traitor during the Divine Ascension Ceremony, then using the Forbidden Weapon “Sword of Zenith” to destroy one of Noah’s incarnations.
If not for losing a Bounty Incarnation and suffering mental trauma as a result, if it had been the fully intact Noah… the outcome of the Battle of the Fractured Coastline might not have been so certain.
Besides, setting aside the personal feud between Last and Noah——the Gravekeepers and the Shoreguards were sworn enemies.
The founder of the Shoreguards was a traitor who defected from the Gravekeepers, and the “Fool’s Library”, passed down from generation to generation among the Shoreguards, was originally a creation of the Nameless Fool from the Age of the Gods, once standing equal to the Eternal Night Stele among the legacies of the Gravekeepers.
In the Gravekeepers’ words, the Shoreguards were a bunch of despicable thieves.
Moreover, Last had never particularly hidden his identity and appearance in the Present World.
To the Gravekeepers who had inherited records from the Age of the Gods and possessed a complete historical archive… discovering a freshman at Star Cluster University whose appearance, abilities, and name were identical to the one who had once deceived them in history—
It was entirely reasonable for them to deduce his identity, attempt to eliminate him, and seize back the “Fool’s Library” from his hands.
Furthermore, unlike the previous two encounters during Historical Echoes…
At that time, Last had Sisel the Leader, and Grey who had ascended as an Angel, shielding him.
But now, in the Present World, as the inheritor of the “Fool’s Library”, the only one Last could rely on—was himself.
“So… is His Majesty Allen’s invitation also related to this?”
Thoughts turned like lightning in Last’s mind, though none of it showed on his face.
He operated the intelligent terminal without expression, formatting the message sent by Ingrid and ensuring no trace remained, then gently nodded to the maid waiting nearby.
“Thank you for waiting. Please, lead the way.”
……
It was a bit unexpected for Last.
The place Allen chose to meet him was not the throne hall of the palace, but rather a secluded manor located on the edge of the Imperial Capital, surrounded by beautiful scenery.
“Your Majesty usually receives envoys from other nations, the great nobles of the Imperial Capital, and powerful ministers in the main palace hall...”
“But this Hailan Manor is a private residence Your Majesty only uses when gathering with close friends and family.”
“His Majesty Allen choosing to meet you here at Hailan Manor shows that he already regards you as family… Mr. Last.”
The maid leading the way beside him spoke respectfully.
Then, her steps came to a stop at the entrance of the manor. She gently pushed the door open and made an inviting gesture.
Last did not stand on ceremony and walked straight in.
The manor was spacious inside. Its décor wasn’t particularly lavish, instead appearing quite modest, carrying a unique warmth.
In the reception room after pushing open the door, one side had bookshelves filled with various books, while the other side featured a fireplace, blazing brightly.
The firewood crackled in the hearth, its warmth dispersing the lingering chill of early spring.
The monarch of the Granwell Kingdom, Allen, sat on a sofa beside the fireplace.
He appeared around forty or fifty years old, calm in temperament, not at all resembling a ruler who governed the largest nation of the Western Continent, but more like a modest elder.
“This room’s entire layout is a replica.”
“That was the home Cecilia and I lived in back in Autumnleaf Domain, before I inherited the throne.”
“Because of the Twilight Calamity more than ten years ago, everything was lost. Later, I remodeled the furnishings of Hailan Manor to look just like it used to be.”
“It’s as if whenever I come here, everything returns to decades ago—”
“I was just a carefree prince, unruly and unrestrained… and Cecilia remained by my side, never leaving me.”
Words laced with age came forth, carrying a hint of wistfulness.
The side profile of this middle-aged man was bathed in the glow of the fireplace, his features deep-set.
He waved toward Last, then patted the seat beside him on the sofa.
“If Her Highness Ophelia’s mother heard what His Majesty said while mourning his wife, things might not end well.”
Facing Allen’s invitation, Last didn’t hold back and simply sat down beside the fireplace.
“It wouldn’t be such a bad ending.”
“My union with Carol was purely a political marriage.”
“This is something that both Carol and I, and the rest of the great nobles of the capital, understood perfectly well from the start of the marriage.”
Carol.
That is, Ophelia’s birth mother, Hiltina’s current stepmother, the noblewoman Last had seen at the academy?
A slight ripple stirred in Last’s heart.
“Whether it’s Carol’s position as queen or Ophelia’s birth...”
“The essence of it is nothing more than an exchange of interests between me and the ducal house behind her.”
Allen’s tone was casual: “I know, regardless of the reasons, even if she is the sacrifice of a political marriage, Carol truly loves me.”
“Because of that love, she treats Hiltina as her own daughter, and in many cases, even shows more affection and indulgence toward her than she does toward Ophelia… not at all like the evil stepmothers described in fairy tales.”
“But unfortunately, I can’t reciprocate that love in kind… in my heart, my queen will always be Cecilia Ingrit alone.”
Last nodded.
“But if what Your Majesty says is true, that Lady Cecilia is your one true love in this life…”
“Then why, more than a decade ago, did you choose to go to the frontier instead of staying with your wife at that critical moment?”
“Because before being ‘Cecilia’s husband, Hiltina’s father,’ I am first and foremost a member of the Imperial Royal Family.”
“In the past I was a prince, and now I am a king.”
Allen gazed at the dancing flames in the hearth: “I very much wanted to be a good father, a good husband… but sometimes, fate leaves us no choice.”
“In this world, saving one group of people often means sacrificing another… more often than not, fate never offers a perfect solution from the start.”
“And before the duty of being a monarch, my personal feelings, desires, even my family, are things I must be willing to give up.”
Allen slowly shifted his gaze from the fire in the hearth to Last.
“Last… that is indeed the name you use now and acknowledge from your heart.”
“But that wasn’t your original name, was it?”
“Yeah.” Last nodded. “My original name was long forgotten in the Night World, lost in the endless time loops.”
“But that doesn’t really matter, right? A so-called name is merely a symbol used to represent identity, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. A name is just a code. It means nothing.”
Allen’s voice was calm.
“Then I’ll just continue to call you Last.”
“Last, a long time ago… when you had just broken free from the Historical Echo and Hiltina began showing you an unusual attitude, I went to Star Cluster University to see you.”
“Of course, no one knew about this, not even that snow ferret noticed my arrival.”
He snuck in to spy on me when I’d just entered Star Cluster University?
His Majesty Allen… in a sense, seems to be quite the obsessive father.
Considering his feelings toward his wife, it made sense that he placed such importance on Hiltina.
A small ripple stirred within Last’s heart.
“After seeing you that time, I knew…”
“Last, you and I are the same kind of people.”
“The kind who, for the sake of our convictions, for a certain ideal or goal——are willing to use any means, pay any price.”
“Though we wear human faces, in truth we are more like perpetual mechanical furnaces burning without rest, never collapsing until reaching the end… and to reach that end, we can abandon far more than others imagine.”
Allen paused slightly in his words: “From a monarch’s perspective, I admire you.”
“Because I know, someone like you is destined to win, destined to reach the end of your ideals——no matter how much you lose along the way.”
“But as a father, it’s different.”
“That child is like her mother, too stubborn, too rigid, unable to adapt… and you are far too similar to me.”
“When two people who are too unyielding walk together, they are bound to create tragedy one day.”
“However, that belief of mine changed not long after.”
Allen’s gaze softened a little.
“I was surprised to discover that after meeting you, Hiltina changed—she changed because of you… even if she herself has not yet realized it.”
“I failed to help Cecilia change herself, but if it’s you… perhaps you could do what I once failed to do——”
“Prevent the tragedy of her mother from playing out again in that child’s life.”
“Besides, my own opinion doesn’t matter much.”
Allen smiled lightly: “Since that child has already chosen you, then her partner can only be you.”
“Even if I play the villain and try to forcibly interfere, creating obstacles… that child will still surely break through them all.”
“Just like her mother Cecilia once eloped with me despite her family’s opposition.”
A glimmer of reminiscence flashed in Allen’s eyes.
Hiltina had inherited her hair color from her mother, but her eye color came from her father—both were a soft, pale brown.
Only after a long while did the reminiscent look in this middle-aged monarch’s eyes slowly fade.
He looked at the young man before him and uttered a solemn murmur.
“You must already understand my reason for inviting you here today.”
“Then let’s dispense with the small talk and speak plainly.”
Allen stared into Last’s eyes.
“Last, what do you think of my daughter?”
“Are you willing… to marry Hiltina?”