Chapter 169: Welcoming and Celebrating
"George, are you sure you're okay?" Simon's gaze rested on George, who sat atop his horse, wearing a much lighter outfit instead of his usual armor. A clear expression of concern was on Simon's face.
George was often lost in thought. His expression would sometimes contort in strange ways, or he would squint as if deep in contemplation.
In truth, Simon was right to be concerned. Throughout the entire journey, George had been conversing with the man he had met in the Dimensional Sanctuary.
The being who introduced himself as Averon had been engaging in conversation with George for the whole trip. George persistently tried to extract information from him, but unfortunately, Averon always claimed he didn't know.
Although George was internally curious, he no longer cared. According to Averon, every mage who reached a certain level had a manifestation of their powers within their Dimensional Sanctuary.
In George's case, this manifestation was a false light that destroyed everything. The purple miasma, according to Averon, was an imitation light possessing the influence of the Goddess's radiance.
It was an element equal to the nature of light, yet fundamentally different. The Goddess's light was a power of healing, banishing evil, and standing entirely in opposition to darkness.
In contrast, George's power was a dark force that imitated light. This power, born from the fusion of light and darkness, was known as Dualarcanist. It possessed the restorative abilities of light, yet also the destructive force of darkness.
However, its only flaw was that an ordinary human body was not strong enough to withstand it. It was an incredible yet undeniably one of the most powerful attributes in existence.
At that moment, hearing Simon's voice pulled George out of his thoughts, and he smiled. "I'm as fit as a fiddle. Don't worry."
Simon gave him a helpless, slightly reproachful smile. "Really?"
"You should be more worried about your wife than me," George said with a mocking grin. "She must be sad and anxious almost every day, fearing something might happen to you."
At the mention of Bertha, a warm and affectionate smile involuntarily formed on Simon's lips. George, meanwhile, fell silent and resumed his conversation with Averon in his mind.
"Is he your friend?" Averon's deep and charismatic voice echoed in George's head.
George nodded. "Yes, he is. A very loyal man. Kind and loving, too."
Sensing Averon's curiosity, George asked, "Are you trying to say something?"
"Yes. Why do you trust him? Is he a relative?" Averon asked calmly.
George smiled slightly. "At first, we weren't close, but war and work turned us into friends. Isn't that a good thing?"
"Hmm." Averon only grumbled. "Sometimes, a friend can be better than a family member. Still, too much closeness can lead to betrayal when you least expect it."
"Simon isn't that kind of person," George stated, feeling uncomfortable with Averon's words. Having forged a friendship with Simon, he knew he wasn't someone who would betray him.
"I know, but being cautious never hurts," Averon insisted.
George sighed. "Simon has a family. A life. A strong position. He already has everything. There's no reason for him to betray me."
"There is always a possibility, George. I'm not asking you to cut ties with him—just to be careful." Averon's charismatic voice echoed in George's mind.
George frowned. He didn't like Averon overstepping his boundaries. It bothered him, but he decided not to argue and changed the subject.
"Forget it for now. You can bring it up later."
"Think carefully about what I've said, George. No one is truly trustworthy."
"Have you ever been betrayed before? Then why are you trying to impose your thoughts on me? No offense, but you don't exactly inspire trust in me." George countered, narrowing his eyes. He wanted an answer from Averon, but the entity remained calm.
"I am you, George. Are you saying you won't trust yourself?" Averon asked.
A sarcastic grin formed on George's lips. "You just told me not to trust anyone. That includes you. Prove yourself first, then I'll believe you."
For a moment, George sensed Averon's surprise, followed by a chuckle that echoed in his mind. "Alright, you win. But just this once..."
Averon's voice suddenly faded, and George felt a weight lift from his mind. While he enjoyed conversing with Averon, the sensation of another presence within his thoughts was unsettling.
As George's gaze landed on the magnificent walls of Berlen, his eyes brightened. Even from here, he could feel the city's lively and joyous atmosphere.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, we're almost there," Simon announced, equally delighted.
The disciplined soldiers of the Imperial Army marched forward, signaling their arrival to the Empress.
Ten minutes later, as the massive gates opened, an enormous crowd stood before George and the others. The moment they passed through, thousands of people began throwing roses onto the road.
Hearing the cheers, seeing the joyful tears of the citizens, George was deeply moved and smiled. "Returning victorious after so long… Yet, just seeing this unparalleled sight has washed away all my fatigue and filled me with pride."
"Yes, isn't it wonderful?" Simon smiled as well.
As the Imperial Army slowly advanced toward the Imperial Palace, the cheers continued to resonate through the city.
"Quite impressive," Averon remarked, and George, sensing that even he was affected by the lively atmosphere, smiled.
The city was full of life, and today, everyone was happy. To George, this place felt like heaven—unique and irreplaceable.
"What do you think of it?" George asked curiously.
Averon's voice echoed in his mind once more. "The people are happy. The excitement in the air is overwhelming. This kind of happiness cannot be bought with any amount of wealth."
George simply smiled.
Moments later, they arrived in front of the Imperial Palace. As the soldiers lined up in formation, George took his place near the podium, waiting for the Empress.
Simon still looked cheerful, while Emily, on the other hand, seemed impatient—clearly wishing for the ceremony to be over as soon as possible.
"The sun of the Grand Empire and the Aurelions, the leader of the Aryan people! The Saint of Creation, Her Majesty Morgana, has arrived!"
As the gates of the Imperial Palace slowly opened, Morringan stepped forward with graceful steps, adorned in a stunning and unique gothic dress of black, blue, and white hues.
The crowd, standing alongside the soldiers, erupted into cheers and admiration, while Drachenreich's flag waved proudly everywhere.
After a moment, Morringan ascended the ramp with small steps and addressed her people. As the crowd gradually quieted, she began speaking with a serious tone.
"After a long time, our sacred race has reclaimed the lands it rightfully deserves and once again declared them as part of the Empire..."
With Morringan's speech, a hush fell over the crowd. Anticipation filled the air as people trembled in silence. Then, she continued.
"Along this path, thousands of our soldiers gave their lives for the homeland. I assure you, they now rest peacefully in a place far better than this mortal world..."
Morringan's gaze then shifted to a young girl crying in the corner. She spoke again, her tone calm yet sorrowful.
"On this journey, many lost their children, their siblings, their fathers. But they should not grieve, for their loved ones now reside in the warm and gentle home of the God of Creation..."
She then infused her voice with greater strength.
**"Let me reaffirm: all these deaths were my responsibility. It was my mistakes that led to their demise. I regret this, and I wish wars could be fought without loss...
Our enemy, long ago, was our former ally and friend, a people once sought to be eradicated by King Arthur himself. They once believed in us. But now, their descendants have willingly allied with the Church of Light and the Holy Mary Kingdom, fulfilling King Arthur's will and standing against us..."**
At Morringan's words, murmurs of anger and hatred rippled through the crowd. Almost all of them cursed King Arthur and the Goddess of Light.
Morringan waited for them to calm down before seizing the momentum and intensifying her speech.
**"Yet, the brave Aryan people have honored their ancestors and freed our brothers and sisters from the chains of the Church of Light once again! We have given them new hope!
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If some of you still think I am too ruthless, then you are absolutely right! I am clear and direct! I will eradicate all religions except for Creation! Anyone standing in the way of our prosperity will either perish or submit! For too long, our potential has been shackled! But now, we are limitless—we are free! After centuries, our army has returned victorious once more!"**
As the crowd erupted into cheers again, Morringan raised her fist and continued firmly.
**"Those before us were either failures or cowards! Before we came to power, unemployment was close to 13 million! But now? Now, that number has dropped to just 3 million!
Before we arrived, the so-called King and Queen indulged in their pleasures while ignoring the people! But we prioritized our people's prosperity over our own!
Because of the despicable, tyrannical nobles, Aryan farmers suffered in poverty! So we eliminated them! We drove out the so-called young socialists, who were nothing more than fools daring to destroy the state, and we gave our people the prosperity, wealth, and comfort they rightfully deserved!"**
As the people cheered even more wildly, Morringan stepped away from the podium and took three medals from her attendant before approaching George.
"Your service to the homeland is recognized, Commander-in-Chief. May this medal be an honor to you."
Morringan pinned the medal onto George's attire before proceeding to award the others. Then, she led George onto the podium.
"You must have already heard, dear patriots, that the Commander-in-Chief single-handedly destroyed an army," Morringan addressed the crowd calmly.
As George was greeted by thousands of cheers, he responded with a polite smile.
"Therefore, I am proud to bestow upon him the title of Victorious Commander-in-Chief!"
The crowd exploded into passionate applause and fervent chants of George's name. His eyes widened in surprise, and he smiled, feeling slightly embarrassed. Then, he stepped back and watched as Morringan continued her speech.
After discussing several other matters, the ceremony came to an end, and the crowd slowly began to disperse. Meanwhile, under Morringan's orders, preparations for another cabinet meeting were set in motion…