Above the warm water’s surface, thick water vapor drifted in, slowly rising. It danced on the dome above, which was adorned with porcelain decorations, condensed into water droplets, and finally fell into the pool.
Tick.
The sound was gentle and soft.
Ye Qingxuan opened his eyes and rubbed his face with his hands. In the warm bathing pool, his body, which had stiffened in the sea breeze, warmed up. Tiredness took its toll, and a deep drowsiness engulfed him. He propped himself up, stepped out of the bathing pool, and pulled the towel off the rack to dry himself.
Outside the door, a servant’s voice rang out, “Young Master, dinner is ready.”
“Noted.” Ye Qingxuan finished changing and opened the door.
The servant at the door bowed his head respectfully. “The Master is waiting for you in the dining room.”
“Alright.” Ye Qingxuan caught a whiff of the scent of incense lingering in the air, and his nose felt itchy.
As one of the founding fathers of Avalon, the Lancelot family owned many properties in Avalon. Even in midtown, which had once been the most prosperous region, they also had a large mansion in the most expensive area. It even came with a wide courtyard and garden, isolating the mansion from the noise outside, making it a tranquil spot amid the hustle and bustle of the city. It was much better than Lola’s remotely located mansion which resembled a haunted house.
In the past, when the previous head of the household, namely Ye Qingxuan’s maternal grandfather, was still alive, Ye Qingxuan used to come here often, and he could still remember many of the decorations and furnishings here. His grandfather even planned to transfer the house deed to him on his birthday, but unfortunately, what happened later caught everyone by surprise…
It was the first time he revisited the place in more than a decade.
Everything had changed.
Even though the house stayed the same while people had changed, he still couldn’t suppress the sense of rejection in his heart. Without requesting the servant to show him the way, he made his way through the corridor and the stairs, towards the dining room.
Due to the mansion’s location being easily accessible by various modes of transportation, the Lancelot family had often held their banquets here. After centuries of renovations and constant betterment, every corner of it had been perfected with dedication.
It contained innumerable precious collections. Even a seemingly inconspicuous piece of tapestry on the wall could be a gift from a duke or a rare piece that had once been sold for an astronomical price at some auction.
“It really is a wealthy household.” He glanced at the huge oil painting hanging on the wall of the dining room and couldn’t help but sigh softly.
To his surprise, Lancelot was alone in the dining room, and his daughter Christine had not returned. Compared to other aristocrats who generally had dozens of sons and daughters, not to mention countless illegitimate children, the Lancelot family, which had been passing down two Round Table Armors, could be considered as having few descendants.
For many generations, the family had had only one child. The line of descent almost got cut off several times even. For this very reason, they cherished their descendants. Even illegitimate children would definitely be brought into to the household.
The wife of the previous head of the household gave birth to a son and a daughter, which was already considered an unexpected pleasant surprise. As for the present generation, Lancelot only had a daughter, and his wife had died prematurely after being bedridden with chronic diseases. Not counting Ye Qingxuan, the Lancelot household consisted only of the father and the daughter.
Purely speaking in terms of lineage, the family was at its most dangerous position.
After Ye Qingxuan was seated, servants laid out the meal. The layout was simple, the servings not really large, but the food was exquisite enough and sufficient to satisfy one’s appetite.
Lancelot did not say anything, nor did Ye Qingxuan take the initiative to start a conversation.
The silent dinner soon ended.
The servants removed the plates and served them black tea.
In the soft lighting that was just a bit too dim, Lancelot took a few pills with another cup of hot water, and he looked much better. The two were separated by the water vapor rising from the teacup. After contemplating his thoughts for a moment, Lancelot began to speak.
He said, “I know that you must be wondering about what happened while you were gone. Why has Avalon, which has been preparing for this war for a century, been reduced to such a miserable state? In this regard, I have no intention of hiding anything from you. After all, you have returned to Avalon to save the country, you deserve to know everything.”
He gazed at Ye Qingxuan. Looking at the young man’s eyes, Lancelot’s expression turned to a complicated one of bitterness. “It all started half a month ago, from the night when Leviathan was about to enter the reawakening phase…”
…
Half a month ago
Heavy rain poured from the dark sky.
Icy rainwater fell nonstop from the sky, covering the lonely city on the sea. The weak lights in the city flickered, as if being crushed under the weight of the rain.
Located at the highest region of Avalon, the palace faced the dead silent ocean in the distance. At the highest point of the throne room, from the weighty throne, one’s gaze could pass through the open door and the heavy rain, cross the vast plazas and the long distance, and fall squarely on the sea.
“It’s raining.” The weary empress on the throne jolted awake from a long sleep, raised her eyes, and saw the black clouds and flashing lightning above the sea. So, a trace of relief emerged in the green eyes.
“Finally, it’s coming?”
“Yes.” Beside the throne, Lancelot nodded, holding a crutch, expressionless. In the heavy pattering of the rain outside the door, he simply gazed at the round platform placed in the center of the room.
On the round table was a square prism resembling a work of art created by the best glass smiths. The core which was as hard as steel looked clear and transparent. One could see the raindrops shattering in the plaza outside through the glass. But at the moment, in the transparent prism, strands of blood vessels covered its inner walls.
As if it was alive, the blood vessels were pulsating, like a living thing breathing. The fine blood capillaries branching out from the main vessels waved in the air, like roots of trees, and twirled in the soft singing.
“The king and his accomplice kidnapped the queen and jailed her in the dream. “We have the power, yet where should we go? Oh, men, hoist the sail! Pull, thieves and beggars, we’ll live forever…” The song came from the prism.
It was a broken piece of flesh. When the piece of flesh was sealed, it was only as small as the knuckle of a little finger. But at the moment, it had eroded the steel and grew in the seal, expanding and turning into a vague face.
A few months ago, the face was just a bloody mess, vaguely resembling a woman. But now, the face had formed completely. The facial features were well defined, the eyes were shut, and the corners of the lips lifted, as if it was slumbering in a sweet dream. As the lips moved slightly, hallucination-like singing sounded. The singing was alive, as if it had a soul, piercing through layers of walls and the heavy rain, and reverberated between the sea and the sky, summoning the demons far away to come to Avalon.
The face looked delicate and possessed an androgynous beauty that was neither completely masculine nor feminine. It seemed gentle, but also strong. It seemed to be pouting angrily but also smiling.
What one could observe from each angle was completely different. The only similarity was that the face had a devilishness unlike that of a human’s.
In the soft singing, the Empress got up from the throne. She walked closer and gazed at the face in the crystal. After a good while, she murmured softly, “It’s been so many years, you must have felt very lonely, Prince Thames.”
No one responded.
So Elizabeth reached out, wanting to hold the crystal prism.
“Your Majesty.” Lancelot stepped forward. He looked at her and shook his head, “You mustn’t.”
Elizabeth smiled, and touched the prism very her palm gently, as if she wanted to caress the face. Innumerable fine, fluff-like blood capillaries instantly extended, like greedy roots, and wrapped themselves around her hands, wanting to take root. However, red Firebird spewed out from the slender body. Her power was of the same origin as that of the face, but it was so violent that it seemed as if it was trying to destroy everything in the world.
Just staring at it made one feel a stinging pain.
Just touching it would lead to destruction.
The blood capillaries evaporate in an instant, severing from the main vessels, which shrunk back into the crystal. The face convulsed, the eyelids shivering, as if it was about to wake up from a nightmare.
“I really envy you. It’s been so many years, yet you haven’t grown any older, and are still as beautiful as ever.” Elizabeth took the prism and examined the face. The look in her eyes became complicated and sorrowful. “It must be very painful. Suffering in our stead for so many years, sentimentally attached to the mortal world, and being unable to die…”
Still, no one responded.
Lancelot went down on one knee and pleaded again, “Your Majesty, Leviathan is awakening, we don’t have much time.”
“Let me look at him for a bit more.” Elizabeth caressed the prism and looked at the sleeping face. “This is my uncle, Lancelot.
“It is the sacrifice made by the previous emperor, the 16th person to die for the blood of sin—the one and only Prince Thames.
“Do you know? He was the youngest brother of my father. When I was born, he was only three years old. He died when he was 13, but he had spent the seven years before that with me.
“I even remember the tone he used to speak in, it was soft, like a girl… He once hugged me, took care of me, and he was like a brother to me.
“The dragon blood in him was far stronger than anyone else in the family, so he became the sacrifice and died in the hands of my father.
“Now that I am the empress, it is my turn to be responsible for killing him.”
Lancelot was silent. Such was the shameful secret of the royal family, the secret which Anglo couldn’t afford to let anyone know.
As early as a few decades ago, Leviathan should have awakened for the sixth time. It was the sacrifice of Prince Thames that delayed it till the present. A descendant of the dragon blood was made a sacrifice and cruelly burned into ashes. The remains which the fire had failed to burn was sealed in iron, the ashes were sprinkled into the flowing murky water and returned to the sea. It was the only thing that could be done to save the country, and it must be done.
For a very, very long time, Elizabeth kept her eyes closed.
In the silence, the Empress, who had suffered from the curse for many years, suddenly regained her calmness. It was the result of a strong will forged through the endurance of excruciating pain.
“Sometimes, I am grateful for having the blood of the monster in me.”
Elizabeth raised her eyes, gazing at the heavy rain outside the throne room and the dark ocean. “After all, many people have died, but I am still alive, no?”
Lancelot was at a loss for words.
“Rest assured, Lancelot, I am not that weak. At the very least, I am the empress of the country. In this war that should not have begun in the first place, too many sacrifices have been made. I will not tolerate the continuing deaths of my people.” Elizabeth lowered her eyes, no longer weak, nor emotional, as if she had turned into steel. “Now, how bad is the situation?”
“Everything is as expected, the losses are also within the acceptable range.” Lancelot replied, “Communication with the provinces in the fog has been resumed. Most citizens of the country have immediately begun to take refuge. Other than a few shelters that have fallen in attacks, the rest remain standing firm.
“According to the plan, the Second Royal Fleet has set off, traveling to various places to provide reinforcements. The Third Royal Fleet is guarding the coastal waters and is combat-ready.
“The First Royal Fleet has been unsealed by the Stein Chamber Number Zero. Once Your Majesty gives the order, the fleet can be awakened any time.
“It’s just that the Black Tide this time around is more troublesome than that in the previous years. The total number of dark rivers brewing up is about 30 as of now, and the lookouts report that the number continues to increase. The giant demons which inhabit various regions of the sea have also been awakened, and the vile spawn of the sea have begun to multiply once more.
“Based on the growth rate of the prince’s remains, we estimate that the first seal will be torn open tonight. Using it as the core, Leviathan will enter the actual reawakening phase…”
