Chapter 229: 229:Memories III
Atheline followed her as she walked out of the throne room. Behind him, everyone let out a sigh of relief. She took him through the familiar hallway and came to a stop in front of her study.
Footsteps approached a few seconds later, then Zelpher appeared down the hallway approaching with a stack of documents.
Lilith entered the study with Zelpher following behind her. She let out an exhausted sigh and took a seat behind her desk.
Zelpher placed the documents before her.
"What do you think your majesty?" He asked, "It seems the saintess is trying to spread her influence."
She didn’t respond immediately. Her gaze went out the window then she turned to him a her lips lifted in a smirk.
"Well, she has to be punished. It seems I have been too kind to her that she dares to lie to me."
"Is it about the Storm ruin?"
She nodded. "I went to that location but it was not there but the moment i return i get news it has been cleared," A chuckle escaped her, she glanced up at the ceiling, " How coincidental and absurd is that?"
Zelpher nodded immediately.
"It’s an awful coincidence your majesty. "
"I thought so. Maybe being bound in the Court for a while will be helpful."
"Do you plan on getting the crystals back?"
"Of course, she’s causing too much of a distraction," she quietly said, " capture and bring her back. You can use any means if she proves to be stubborn."
"Yes, your majesty. "
The room fell into a small silence. Zelpher busied himself by organising the office while Lilith sighed over most of the documents.
This gave Atheline enough time to digest all the words. He could already guess this part. This would probably be a turning point where Yander sees Lilith as a tyrant while continuing to increase her influence.
From Atheline’s perspective what Lilith was doing was reasonable. Such a large amount of crystals being given out for free all around the kingdom would create a huge discrepancy.
If crystals become something easy to obtain, the moment the supply ends more trouble will arise. It will be hard for the citizens to go back to the era of restrictions. Crystals were like gold coins, they can’t just be given everywhere for free it would crush the economy.
"You majesty, "Zelpher’s voice suddenly broke the silence. She glanced at him," The hunting competition will be held next week."
She nodded." Prepare a feast for the people inside the court."
"Yes, your majesty."
"I want this to be over with," she said then sat up abruptly, " invite the other kingdoms."
The book fell from his grip.
"What? Why?"
"I don’t know, something is telling me to do that."
"So it’s just on a whim."
"Yes."
Zelpher sighed heavily.
After that, the world continued turning and the next scene arrived like a blade sliding into place.
The Hunting Competition.
Massive gates opened across the Court, opening the four mountains to the outside world.
Crowds roared.
Flags waved.
Nobles gathered in elevated viewing terraces while magical projection illuminated the central meeting points at the tip.
The strongest young warriors of the continent assembled and among them was the Hero, Caius.
He stood at the front lines of competitors, confident, radiant, already half-beloved by the crowd before the event even began. Atheline noticed something immediately, he had taken the tenth gate.
The forbidden gate that he had taken. This made him the centre of attention.
Yander watched from a distant balcony. Atheline noted that she looked uneasy. As though aware that something beneath the surface was wrong.
She was probably being confined by Lilith just like she had said she would. In his Timeline, she had participated while in the novel she was being held in the castle.
A true damsel in distress.
He also noticed that Igrad was missing in the lineup. It seems he had really made Lilith’s enemies uneasy for them to allow him to attend.
The competition began.
Forest gates opened.
Magic exploded across terrain designed to test survival and dominance. In the competition, Caius moved as if he had already won.
The crowd loved him instantly.
They always did.
Atheline followed the flow of the competition until the result became clear.
He would win. Of course, he would. The novel had always intended him to.
But something was missing. It was more like someone. Atheline could feel that Lilith was not in the hunting competition.
He moved to the palace but found her missing. His heart rate picked up. He looked through all the secret places she liked to hide and sleep but she wasn’t there.
It was as though she wasn’t inside the Palace or court. He leaned against the wall in resignation.
Just where had she gone?
Since this was a memory, it wasn’t like he could command her to follow him. He was just going with the flow.
And then, the scene changed again.
He found himself above the courts’ familiar, crowded upper streets. Since it was the competition every species was present and everyone was celebrating or mourning.
Atheline felt the change before he saw it. Because suddenly, he was there.
Not above the story anymore as an impotent being but inside the novel he had thought his role done.
He stood in a crowded avenue filled with banners celebrating the competition.
He still looked the same, organised and overworked but the similarities ended there. He was far weaker, just as he was supposed to be in terms of normal strength. And also his clothes already said his occupation as an attendant. The advisor to the prince.
The difference was so jarring that it felt as though it wasn’t him or just a small part of his personality had been molded into the person he was seeing before him.
It was understandable since the Atheline in the book didn’t have memories of another world.
At the moment he had documents pressed against his chest as he moved quickly through the crowd. Dark circles under his eyes showed the exhaustion he was suffering from.
A few guards followed behind him equally uneasy as they weaved through the crowd.
He came to a stop at a less crowded area. The guards surrounded him.
"Young lord, we could not find him anywhere."
"What?"
Another guard nodded. "We’ve gone to all the rings, shops, gambling dens, and floors but nothing. "
He stumbled slightly. He lifted his hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"So you’re telling me you couldn’t find His Highness the prince, all this time."
They all avoided his gaze. He stared at them for a moment then sighed.
Atheline couldn’t help but shiver at the thought that this would have been his life. It was clear Prince Solaris had gone somewhere to stroke his ego, probably having been forbidden from the competition.
"Do you have no idea where he might have gone?"
"No, young lord."
He waved them off.
"Just go and continue looking, I’ll be joining the search. "
His voice grew tighter with each word. The disappearance of the Prince meant responsibility which meant failure if he did not find him.
He moved faster through the crowd, down streets, through markets, and across bridges.
