Blonde hair, blue eyes, young, and that familiar… face?
All the surrounding voices fell silent in an instant. Even Second Prince Garfield and Fourth Prince Luke looked shocked.
Lex the Great’s pupils contracted abruptly. Feeling the increasingly strong bloodline sense in his mind, he slowly stepped forward.
“Arthur…”
Chen Rui’s heart beat faster when he heard the name called out by Lex the Great, and a sense of intimacy spread in his heart. Many incomplete memory fragments hidden in the depths of his mind began to be more complete and coherent little by little.
His eyes were slightly red. This was an innate bloodline imprint. Even if the memory was merged after the rebirth, it could not be eliminated.
“My son…” Lex the Great’s voice trembled slightly. No matter whether he was the ruler who controlled power and people’s minds before, at least at this moment, he was just a father.
This sentence confirmed the speculation in almost everyone’s mind. They were all moved. This was shocking news – The third prince who had been missing for several years, the controller of the Golden Estate, Arthur. Roland!
Chen Rui took a deep breath. He already suppressed the boiling emotion as he bowed to Lex the Great, “Your Majesty, I’m back.”
The name ‘Your Majesty’ was not a deliberate separation of Chen Rui, but it came from Arthur’s memory.
Lex’s eyes twitched slightly, but he had no doubt at all. He sighed, “Great, at least you are back.”
On the other hand, Cardinal Gralin couldn’t hide the surprised expression on his face. The future ‘Holy Child’ Arthur of the Holy Church, is actually the prince of the Dragon Bright Empire!
Joanna and Ina also came into realization suddenly. They understood something more. Third Prince Arthur was precisely the ‘Richard’ that Samuel had always been loyal to. The 2 women had witnessed Richard defeat the titans and the 3 powerhouses like Orc Kings. Therefore, Third Prince Arthur was a peerless and powerful being!
However, even if Samuel didn’t instruct them, the 2 women would not say much. In the desperate situation where Samuel was disowned from the family and Joanna left the family, it was the third prince who came forward and said, “Samuel is not the Black Death Follower”, completely defeating Garfield’s vicious means.
Next to Lex, the Government Administration Council’s dean (equivalent to prime minister), Old Kovax, bowed and said loudly, “Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness, His Highness Arthur’s identity is no trivial matter. Moreover, he has been missing for so many years. Should we check his identity…”
“No need, my bloodline sensing talent can’t be wrong! At this distance, no transformation technique or illusion can fool me. Just like I’ve insisted that he’s not dead all these years.” Lex looked at Chen Rui, ” My gut tells me that he’s my son, Arthur. Although… it’s quite a drastic change.”
“Anyone who has lived in an unfamiliar and dangerous place for 7 years will inevitably change. Otherwise, he would have been eliminated.” The person who said this was not only ‘Arthur’ but also ‘Chen Rui’.
Lex heard the heartfelt feelings of these 2 sentences, and he nodded slowly, “I can understand.”
“Your Majesty,” Chen Rui quickly pieced together Arthur’s more complete memories, and pointed to his head lightly, “Actually, I’ve lost part of my memory. Fortunately, I haven’t forgotten the most important things, such as… Your Majesty.”
Lex glanced at Old Kovax, who was hesitant to speak, “Is there anything else to question?
When Old Kovax heard the coldness contained in this sentence, he lowered his head and said, “No more.”
Based on Chen Rui’s current experience, it could be seen that Old Kovax did it on purpose – He was not deliberately fighting against him, the third prince who had been missing for many years. On the contrary, this was actually a tacit play with Lex, further affirming the identity of ‘Arthur’ and putting an end to everyone’s doubts.
It was no fluke that Old Kovax was able to stand on the Government Administration Council for decades as the top minister.
Fourth Prince Luke had the quickest response, “Third brother! 7 years! You’re finally back!”
“Arthur! My brother.” Garfield also seemed surprised and happy, “It’s really you! I never thought that Samuel would actually be your subordinate! It’s just that I’m surprised by Samuel’s strength and weapon…”
“Enough.” Lex glanced at Garfield. “This is the end of Samuel’s matter. Arthur’s return is the biggest celebratory event for the royal family. Everything else will come later.”
“Yes.” Garfield lowered his head with a thick haze in his eyes.
The trial ended in an unexpected and miraculous turn. Compared with the result of Samuel’s innocence, the return of the third prince, Arthur. Roland, who had been missing for 7 years, was the most important news.
The Royal Highness Third Prince was once the controller of the most prosperous Golden Estate and the favorite prince of Lex the Great. However, he mysteriously disappeared 7 years ago and only appeared until today.
For 7 full years, no one knew where the prince went and what he experienced. The only thing that was certain was the authenticity of the identity of ‘Arthur’, which Lex the Great had made known to the entire empire.
Dragon Bright Empire Royal Palace.
“Arthur, remember this Lagoon Blue Garden? Your mother…” Lex the Great expressed a nostalgic expression, “Ikrina likes to bring you here most.”
In Chen Rui’s consciousness, the image of a blond woman faintly appeared. Her face was a little blurry, but the feeling of kindness was very clear. In his memory, this kind of kindness left the young ‘Arthur’ early, just like his parents on Earth. For a while, sadness flooded his heart, but he didn’t speak.
Lex the Great was silent for a moment and patted his shoulder. Lex was very tall, and he looked less than 40 years old. Chen Rui was a lot shorter when he stood next to him. At this moment, the man who tapped on the shoulder did give Chen Rui that familiar feeling of ‘father’, just as Arthur remembered it.
However, Chen Rui knew very well that Lex was not only a father but also a powerful ruler. Back then, he stepped on his brother’s corpse to stand out from the brutal palace struggle and ascended the throne as the emperor.
The Great Emperor’s means and courage were known to all. They could be seen in the absolute domination of the Dragon Bright Empire today. The more excellent the ruler, the more ruthless he was. Once the rule was really threatened, family affection was just a superfluous bond that could be cut off at any time (exceptions were very few).
Not to mention the stories such as the calamity of witchcraft, the Xuanwu Gate Incident, and the candle shadow and the sound of an axe, Chen Rui couldn’t help but feel pitiful because of his personal experience with Raizen and his 3 sons.
“Tell me, my son, what have you been through all these years…?”
“Your Majesty, do I need to repeat it again? I was lost in a mysterious place, and also lost a lot of memory. I can’t remember specifically for whom or for what reason. After a near-death experience, I luckily survived and got the inheritance strength of an ancient civilization in the end.”
“Just this?” Lex frowned.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You still hate me?” Lex slowly removed the hand from Chen Rui’s shoulder, “Because of that woman? You haven’t called me ‘Royal Father’ or… father since then. “
That woman? The rift between father and son? Chen Rui’s mind moved and shook his head, “I don’t remember a lot of things. Sorry, Your Majesty. Maybe I need time to adapt or maybe it will take a long time to adapt.”
Lex glanced at him pensively, “Some things are better not remembered. What is going on with you and the Holy Church?”
Finally got to the point? Chen Rui said indifferently, “My ship encountered the cardinal who was besieged by the Black Death Followers at sea, then my guardian that I inherited from the ancient civilization defeated the Black Death Followers. Following that, I heard Samuel was framed, so with the help of Gralin’s strength, we came to Yerodisha to clear Samuel’s innocence.”
“Your guardian is indeed very powerful. He has surpassed Saint.” Lex said with a solemn expression, “So… you could return to the palace a long time ago, but you never did so. If it wasn’t for Samuel, you probably wouldn’t show up in front of me now?”
“Not exactly. The real reason I haven’t appeared is because of the test of inheritance of ancient civilizations. I can’t be distracted.” Chen Rui had prepared what to say earlier, “Samuel and I met by chance during a test, and I got his help and allegiance.”
Lex was noncommittal as he asked, “Samuel’s strength is also derived from the strength of the ancient civilization?”
“That’s right, he got the inheritance of a guardian on his deathbed.” Chen Rui’s answer was very particular. The inheritance of ‘dying’ meant uniqueness.
“How many guardians are there in total?”
“6. In addition to Samuel, Paglio and Dodo who were in the hall that day, there are 3 ladies, 2 of them are… my wives.”
“Wives?” Lex the Great frowned, then he eased his brows again, “That’s good as well, lest you get along with… However, despite their status as ancient civilization guardians, they can only be concubines at most. Your legitimate wife is Princess Landbis, the pearl of the Blue Glory Empire.”
“I have no interest in Princess Landbis at all. I believe she feels the same way as I do.” Chen Rui shrugged.
“It has nothing to do with interest. You are the prince of the Dragon Bright Empire. She is the princess of the Blue Glory Empire. This marriage has been delayed for 7 years, and for this I have been under great pressure from the Blue Glory Empire. Now that you have appeared in public, you have to marry Landbis!” Lex’s voice gradually became stern.
“Even if I resist with all my might?” Chen Rui asked rhetorically.
“You don’t have a choice.” Lex’s tone became resolute, “This is a national matter of the 2 empires! Not your overbearing private matter! There is no room for negotiation!”
“Now I understand why I called ‘Your Majesty’.” Chen Rui was not as furious as Lex imagined, but he looked calm and bowed slightly, “Then, Your Majesty, I’ll leave first.”
“I haven’t dismissed you yet!” Lex stared at Chen Rui tightly. The deterrent light in his eyes gradually brightened, “Your estate has been taken care of by Garfield…”
“It doesn’t matter. Everything follows Your Majesty’s arrangement.” Chen Rui ignored Lex’s oppressive gaze and turned to leave.
After walking a few steps, he stopped again without looking back, “What I have inherited is the ancient alchemy civilization. Samuel’s weapons are derived from this. Now the doubts in Your Majesty’s heart should be almost cleared. By the way, as for a certain lady at the Shion Palace, Your Majesty does not need to hold her under house arrest, I have my own discretion.”
Lex raised his brows slightly as a different expression flashed across his eyes. He let Chen Rui’s figure disappear without a trace.
After a long time, the ruler lowered his head, looked at the sole reflection in the lagoon, and muttered something.
“Ikrina, did you see that? My son has grown up.”
TL: Seems like there are some stories between them…
