Traveling high above the clouds, a dark raven flew towards the East.
Seated on its back was Celine. She had only parted with William an hour ago, and yet the distance between them had widened significantly. Deep inside, she was relieved that her disciple had grown up to be an outstanding man.
She had a taste on just how outstanding William was, in that one week that they had been together.
Oliver, who was lurking in Celine’s shadow, finally spoke up after the Tower of Babylon disappeared from view.
“Mistress, is Little Will perhaps…”
“No.”
Celine cut off Oliver’s question because she already knew what he was going to ask.
“He’s not the Prince in the Prophecy,” Celine stated. “A crest didn’t appear on my body.”
“… I see.”
When Celine offered herself up to William, it was her way of fighting against her destiny. She was one of the bride candidates for the prophesied Prince who would not only wreak havoc in the Silvermoon Continent, but the one who would cover the entire world in darkness.
Simply put, Celine took a gamble. If William was the Prince in the prophecy, she would cancel all her plans, to visit her sister and to go to the Demonic Continent, in order to be by his side. Her purpose was to prevent him from getting corrupted by darkness and turning the world upside down.
To be honest, Celine felt relieved that William wasn’t the one in the prophecy, because it meant that her disciple wouldn’t have to suffer and fall into corruption.
The prophecy stated that when the prince appeared, and took either her or Celeste as his bride, a crest would appear on their body. This would prove that he was the Prince in the prophecy, a Prince that the Elves wanted to capture at all cost.
Celine wanted to be the one in control of her life. Whom she wanted to love, whom she wanted to dedicate her life to, she wanted the right to choose. She would not allow a prophecy to dictate her destiny.
She loved William, not as a man, but as her Disciple. Even so, she still chose him to be her first man. Celine would rather give her maidenhood to the Disciple she raised, than to a stranger who would deprive her of her freedom.
“Oliver, if you like, you can stay by William’s side,” Celine said softly. “You don’t have to worry about me. As long as the Prince doesn’t appear, I’ll be safe wherever I go.”
Oliver snorted before giving his reply, “Mistress. I am not Little Will’s nanny. Also, he’s no longer a child. He is now strong enough to stand on his own feet. Besides, there are many strong beings by his side. I’m sure that he would be safe without me.”
Celine nodded her head in agreement. Although she didn’t want to admit it. Not having Oliver with her would make her lonely. The Parrot Monkey not only served as her loyal retainer, but someone to talk to about important matters as well.
—–
Kraetor Empire Capital, City of Azmar…
“Are the preparations for the tournament going well?” Emperor Leonidas asked Evexius who was standing beside his throne.
Evexius bowed, “Yes,Your Majesty.”
“Good. Will that boy, William, participate?”
“I do not know, Your Majesty.”
Evexius shook his head as he narrated the report that Gilbert had passed to him during their meeting at the Academy.
“Headmaster, Gilbert, said that William was going to the Tower of Babel to clear the 51st Floor of the Tower,” Evexius reported. “He added that it was a revelation that William received from His Excellency, Aamon, when the boy went to his temple.”
“Clear the 51st Floor of Babylon?” Emperor Leonidas snorted. “That sounds like a suicide mission. Either his Excellency hates the boy, or he is confident that William can clear it. What do you think, Evexius? Does that boy have what it takes to do something that you, me, and the rest of the champions of our Era failed to do?”
Evexius lowered his head as he pondered Emperor Leonidas’ question. Frankly, he didn’t believe that William would be able to accomplish what they had failed to achieve. Back then, He, along with Emperor Leonidas, as well as the Saints of the other Empires and Kingdoms, formed an alliance in order to pave the way for a new era.
However, they failed miserably. If not for the help of the Eight Demigods in the Central Continent, they would have been trapped on the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon for eternity.
“I don’t know whether William can clear that floor or not, Your Majesty,” Evexius replied after careful consideration. “However, that person has a knack for reversing a hopeless situation into a hopeful one. Even if he can’t clear it, I think being able to escape with his life is not a problem.”
Emperor Leonidas closed his eyes. “For now, focus on the Grand Tournament. I want this to be perfect. Don’t let me down, Evexius.”
Evexius pressed his fist over his chest and bowed. “Your Majesty, is it true that this year, you will allow, not only the citizens of the Empire, but also anyone who wishes to participate? Even if it’s from an enemy nation?”
“Yes,” Emperor Leonidas answered with his eyes still closed. “It is time for our young warriors to experience what it’s like to fight those who are outside our borders. Although things are quite peaceful now, what happened to the Southern Continent was a wake up call for everyone in the Central Continent.
“They asked me to allow their prodigies to join the festivities as well. A council will be formed to set up the rules of the tournament and the prizes for the top three warriors. The scale of this tournament will be grander than any of the ones we had in the past. Evexius, I don’t want any mishaps. Do I make myself clear?”
“I will do my best to meet your expectations, Your Majesty.” Evexius bowed respectfully before leaving the throne room.
The Grand Archamge of the Kraetor Empire hoped that the tournament that they would be hosting would proceed smoothly. He was also curious about who would become the champion of the young generation.
Evexius knew that whoever it was, that person would definitely rise in fame, not only in the Kraetor Empire, but in the entirety of the Central Continent as well.
—–
Meanwhile inside Silverwind Academy…
‘It has been a month since that Half-Elf was last seen,’ Prince Jason thought as he looked outside of the window of his dormitory room. ‘The tournament will start in a month and will continue for three weeks.’
Prince Jason stared at the bracelet on his wrist. This was the artifact that the Oracle of Aamon’s Temple had given him, in order to counter William’s ability to increase his Rank for a short period of time.
The Fifth Prince of the Kraetor Empire believed that if the two of them were in the same standing, The Half-Elf didn’t have a chance of winning against him.
“You better be there, Half-Elf,” Prince Jason muttered. “I can’t wait to step on your face in front of everyone. I can’t wait to see the despair on Sidonie’s face when she sees you begging for mercy, while being crushed under my foot.”
