Chapter 381 — The Day That Changed History

Those nobles who followed the old rites might not have the courage for an all-out war with the Ancestor, so they probably meant only to make a show—a low-intensity skirmish to demonstrate their displeasure to the Cecil family, and then, by the rules of the "noble game," extort some advantages from them. But...

Once they jumped out, the scale of this "skirmish" would no longer be theirs to decide.

Gao Yang drew his gaze back from the map, then concentrated his mind. In his head, the overhead view from the surveillance satellite surfaced...

In Covenant Keep, in that long hall that had laid down history, a document was being read aloud before all as witnesses, by the masters of ceremony of two nations.

The voices of the two masters of ceremony reverberated through the hall almost in perfect unison. Fortified by magic, the sound was not only loud and clear but seemed to carry a kind of awe-inspiring, solemn, weighty texture.

"...We jointly hold that the restoration of peaceful relations is the first step toward jointly addressing the threat, and that halting the present border confrontation is the first step toward ensuring peace... From the date of signing, military confrontation and all mutual military infiltration shall cease... On the basis of resuming diplomacy, border commerce and the movement of persons shall be restored, and martial law and curfew gradually lifted... joint surveillance of the Great Wall..."

"...The above articles, all witnessed by the gods and the spirits of the ancestors, and approved by the two nations' great and wise rulers..."

"...Ansu-Typhon, Year 736, at Covenant Keep on the common border..."

"Long live peace."

As the solemn final words fell, the long hall abruptly erupted in warm and sustained applause.

Whether or not the people in this hall still harbored hostility, whether or not they had been on guard against one another only yesterday, whether or not estrangement would remain between them hereafter—at least in this moment, every person who had endured the long negotiations was applauding in perfect sincerity, rejoicing in this hard-won peace accord.

The peace accord, witnessed by all, bore the seals of the two nations' rulers. A mage then engraved the accord on the spot onto two plates of pure adamant, to be kept jointly by the two nations, while the original manuscript would remain here in Covenant Keep, sealed within a mithril safe and sunk deep into a closely guarded vault beneath the fortress.

But these subsequent, ceremonial matters were no longer what Duke Silas Loren concerned himself with. He merely watched, overcome with emotion, as the King and Emperor Luoyan shook hands, conversed, and then exchanged the ornamental swords at their sides; and amid an atmosphere of serenity and ardor, this historic negotiation came to an end.

What followed was a banquet of somewhat lighter mood, a grand feast that lasted deep into the night.

Though the negotiations had ended, Duke Silas Loren did not relax in the slightest. He knew well how many eyes were fixed on this peace talk, and among them were not a few who did not wish for peace. So even after the accord was concluded, so long as the King remained in Covenant Keep, remained on this border line, he could not let down his guard.

No doubt it was the same on the Typhon side, for throughout the entire banquet, Duke Loren had noticed that the guards around Emperor Luoyan Augustus stayed close at his side at all times—indeed, their number had even increased.

But in the end, everything concluded in safety.

With the nerves of all the guards stretched taut, the two rulers passed their final night in Covenant Keep without incident. On the fifty-second day of the Month of Revival, Ansu Year 736, King Francis II of Ansu and Emperor Luoyan Augustus of Typhon departed Covenant Keep.

Longwind Fortress welcomed its king with a grand ceremony. For this martial frontier fortress city, Francis II returning from Covenant Keep was in another sense a general—a general who had charged into battle and returned victorious.

But the old king, already worn out in body and mind by the negotiations, did not appear before the public for long. After briefly meeting a few of the fortress's personages of note, Francis II retired to his chambers.

Prince Edmund was not with him; the one who had entered the chamber at his side was the legendary mage from Saintfrost Keep, charged with his personal protection.

Throughout the days-long negotiations, this legendary mage had maintained a life-link with Francis II without interruption. Plainly put, at this moment, to Francis II, this legendary mage—who had served the Ansu royal house for decades—was more trustworthy than all his own children.

Stretching his stiff, creaking joints, the old king settled onto the broad, soft couch. His somewhat clouded eyes turned to the old wizard standing attendant at his side—a gaunt man with black hair, a composed bearing, and robes of purple spangled with stars: "You have borne much hardship these past days, Master Duke."

The old man in the star-spangled robes gave a slight nod, his voice low and hoarse: "It is my duty."

"End the life-link," Francis II said. "This illusion of brimming vigor is pleasant enough, but it has gone on too long—it is beginning to affect my sleep."

"As you wish." The old mage waved a hand, and a thin veil of magical radiance swept over him and Francis II. The life-link's effect vanished at once; as his body settled back into its heavy weariness, the old king could not help letting out a soft breath.

He had once been a powerful spellcaster himself, no less gifted than the legendary mage beside him. But as a king, he was fated never to reach that final step on the path of magic—his body had sunk into irreversible decline.

"Your Majesty, I will go outside and set warding runes for you," the old mage said, bending slightly beside Francis II once the life-link was ended.

"Very well. Thank you for your trouble."

The old mage left the room, but just as Francis II was about to close his eyes for a brief doze, he heard the door being pushed open again.

"Master Duke, is there something else—" The old king opened his eyes and looked toward the door with curiosity, but he did not finish. Standing in the doorway was not the legendary master in the star-spangled robes, but an unfamiliar man dressed in an attendant's garb.

During his time away from Saintfrost Keep, in principle no unfamiliar face should ever have appeared before him alone.

Without any change in his expression, Francis II's right hand drifted lightly over a ring worn on his left hand as he looked into the attendant's eyes: "Who are you?"

"Your Majesty," the attendant stepped forward and bowed slightly, all courtesy, "thank you for your efforts toward peace. The Assembly of All-Ending Things sends you its greetings."

As the words fell, the attendant's head suddenly burst apart, and the shattered flesh and blood formed a gaping, distended maw that lunged straight at Francis II!