With but a thought, the skin changed, taking on a deeper hue of dull blue, in the form of four streaks. Immediately as the ruler’s eyes descended on the glyph, they widened to the limit. Even shaking as he kept staring at the mark, he only opened his mouth after a few breaths.

  “What? Why has it doubled? No, no, that doesn’t matter, I’m sure you have no idea yourself. What about the artifact itself? Do you have it on you?” He asked, however, the man’s face briskly puckered as Lutiel shook his head.

  Yet, immediately changing into a bright smile, the man exclaimed. “It must have gone into your body. She did say that its power couldn’t be brought out fully, specifically for that reason. Now that you have consumed it, the power is fully yours. It doesn’t have to be split with three others. Maybe that’s why you feel so strong now,” Thaev said to the still man, who simply listened with a straight face.

  “That must be the case,” Lutiel muttered to himself, both promptly drowning in silence whilst staring at one another. With the glyph dying out, he swiftly put his armor back on, only to finally speak out again. “Father, there is something important I must inform you about, and I’d like to do it right now, but the pope needs to hear it as well” he eventually uttered, his eyes clean of any stupor.

  Hearing his son clearly, the man nodded fervently, only to fidget around the place, seemingly searching for something. “Where the hell have they gone to?! Guards! Come back here!” He shouted, swiftly seeing the guards stumble about through the closed doors.

  “Yes, your majesty?” They spoke with tired eyes, hastily standing upright before curiously glancing at the man that was the supposed sword hero. With a glare of reverie dulling in their pupils, they flinched at a sudden order.

  “Call the palace. Tell them to get the pope over here. Immediately,” he said with deep fires embedded in his eyes, making the guards clench their jaws before nodding sharply and bowing their figures.

  “Understood, your majesty. Should we use the hero’s name if the pope disagrees?” The bowed knights asked, lingering in quietude as the emperor closed his mouth, quickly turning to the armored hero. Staying around his face for a while, Thaev finally looked at them again.

  “Yes, do whatever to make sure he comes,” the emperor spoke out, making the guards stand upright before nodding once more. Immediately going away in a hurry and shutting the doors.

  Meanwhile, Thaev turned fully to the man, lingering about on his scabbard for a while before talking once more. “Raphael, care to spar with this old man after so long?” He asked, a brimming smile stuck to his face before seeing his son smile lightly.

  “Sure, but I don’t guarantee I will be nearly as good as before. It’s been a long time since my body moved the way it used to,” said Lutiel, the emperor already moving towards the sword standing near the armor behind the throne.

  “Neither have I. I couldn’t find a sense in the sword after hearing about your news. It’s a different story now. Seeing you well and alive lit a fire inside that had been long since extinguished,” he said, grasping the hilt with his right hand before sharply pulling the blade out of the scabbard.

  Shining brightly, the white metal reflected itself in his hands, the man slowly heading to stand before his son. Simultaneously, Lutiel tossed his own weapon out, the one he had stolen from the demon guard.

  Before long, the two stood against each other, both planted in a similar stance. Lowered on the legs whilst pointing the sword up and at the sparring partner, they breathed calmly.

  Still, Thaev couldn’t help but carry on the smile around his face. Sensing the glances peering through him from Lutiel’s side, he spouted out. “It’s like I’m feeling needles stabbing through my heart. Good, son! It seems you’ve finally learnt to disobey me, haha!” He laughed cheerily, swiftly stepping forward as he lurched at the pale man.

  Quickly, the sword appeared before the hero, cutting through the air whilst it moved up before slashing down. Yet, glancing at the flowing sword, Lutiel simply put his blade horizontally, thrusting it up as the emperor’s weapon landed on the metal.

  Breaking his stance apart completely, Thaev’s widened eyes before he realized what sort of position he found himself in. His longsword going high from the son’s moves, he opened himself to him completely, his brightly fluttering robes stopping as Lutiel placed his blade’s tip against his chest.

  “Heh, hehehe! What the hell was that? Didn’t you say something else just a moment ago?” The emperor asked, with a somewhat nervous laughter echoing through the space.

  Despite lingering in the place for a while, the man finally retracted his sword, putting himself into a stance again before spouting. “It’s a simple move. I’m sure it’s because you were still sleeping just a few minutes ago, father. You need to warm up properly,” he said, seeing him release a shallow breath before grinning away.

  Placing the sword before him, Thaev stepped away, only to rush in once more. “You said you were sleeping all this time, right? When did you wake up?” He finally asked, right as the blades clanged out their existence.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  “A few weeks ago now. I needed a while to figure things and myself out, but I was able to get back here, as you can see,” Lutiel said, pressing against the sword trying to impede his movements. Still, with a single, simple push, the emperor fell off his tracks immediately, as though the man stood in front of a sapling

  Once more, the one in front of him staggered to the side, his sword dropping to the ground before being pinned by the tip, albeit it still didn’t penetrate. ‘This is meant to be one of the greatest knights to ever live?’ Lutiel wondered, however, his mind was swiftly taken over by his voice.

  “Did you train in that sleep of yours or what? You’re even stronger than before. I can’t imagine what sort of power you will achieve when you activate the glyph,” with a smile swelling across his mouth, Thaev said, somewhat stopping Lutiel in his motion.

  Despite finding himself staring deeply at the smile, he still continued to do it, glancing only at the joyous lips. Yet, he acted eventually, watching the emperor move to attack once again.

  This time, slashing from the side, Lutiel simply pointed the sword down from the side, prying it away with a faint hit on the blade. Although he used meager strengths, it still went according to his wishes.

  Forgetting to look at his blade, the man moved whilst looking only at the ruler’s face, still successfully providing the attacks. Once more, he arrived at the man’s defenseless figure. Yet, the emperor did nothing but smile away at the actions, eager to ask more questions to the son he hadn’t seen in such a long time.

  “Where were you all this time? Was the food at least good? Did you find some friends?” All sorts of inquiries reverberated throughout his mind, alas, Lutiel gave straight, terse answers. Focusing more around his face, he engraved the smile in his head.

  ‘Did you ever smile at me like that?’ Lutiel asked himsel, only to flinch away from his face, seeing the struggle it put up with. Quickly lowering his sight, the man saw his blade pushing slightly through the neck, making him part his lips briskly.

  “I’m sorry, father, I lost focus for a moment,” he said, swiftly seeing his brows crease up.

  “Sorry? Why? Don’t be! You’re strong now! Extremely strong! You won’t have to worry about them not allowing your marriage with Sheila now. I guarantee even those elves in her Kingdom will finally agree to it,” said Thaev, quickly witnessing his son’s face go down to the floor for a moment.

  “Right, Sheila. I also wanted to meet her, but I heard some rumors about her. That she was apparently hidden from the public?” Lutiel asked, however, the man only furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

  “That’s the first time I hear about it. You should ask the pope when he comes. Ah, speak of the devil,” the emperor swiftly tossed the sword back in his scabbard as he heard the heavy commotion, promptly leaving Lutiel to linger on his own as he moved closer to the doors.

  ‘No, there’s no need for that anymore, father,’ he thought to himself, staring with a solemn gaze as the back headed for the doors, beginning to open about.

  Incomparable those the emperor had at bay, their silvery armor glimmered out beneath the lights, a lack of weapons present around them.

  ‘Demons, again,’ judged Lutiel, peering through the eyes on the almost fully covered heads of theirs. Wearing flattened at the top helmets, entwined with strokes of gold along the whitened metal, it didn’t match their relatively lanky bodies.

  Regardless, Lutiel briskly washed his sight over them. Stood in between the two highly armored guards, the stout man donned a flowing robe, glistening out beyond his back for a few more steps. Dragging it through the floor, his graceful being invited itself upon the room, golden gleams surrounding his presence throughout, especially through the circle in the center of his mitre, surrounded by undulating, acute spikes.

  Despite seeing the pope directly in front of him, Lutiel failed to bow down. Instead, he traveled up to the wrinkled, grayish face, on the verge of his own paleness. Quickly, he looked at the faintly brown eyes, the pope glancing through him similarly.

  For countless breaths, the one at the very top of the church scoured through the man, searching through his features, only to finally part his lips.

  “Get away from this room. And don’t listen in on us or I’ll cut your ears off,” the man spoke out lightly, making his guards hesitate before eventually nodding. Albeit looking at Lutiel for a while, they promptly turned around, closing the doors sharply before the three remained alone.

  Almost immediately, the pope added on, taking his robed arms behind his back before resting them there. “How are you still alive?” He asked, a clear face of curiosity settling on him. However, he could only crease his eyebrows at the answer.

  “I have no idea. I was asleep for most of the ten years I was gone for. And when I finally woke up, I could hardly differentiate whatever was happening for the first few days ,” said Lutiel, making the pope take a glance at the emperor.

  Though, not finding much there, he simply turned back to the sword hero, slowly walking ahead whilst brushing his robe along the red carpet.

  Stopping a step or so away from the duo, the pope kept staring at his face. “What was it that you wanted to inform us about? I heard it is very important,” he finally said, Lutiel nodding slightly.

  Not hesitating in the slightest, he finally spoke away. “I believe I have some news about Lutiel’s state, but I need to confirm something first. My memory is still quite foggy,” Lutiel’s voice travelled through the space, making both of the people’s brows stagger about, furrowing.

  “What did you say?” The pope swiftly asked, somewhat perplexed.

  Meanwhile, the emperor turned to his son, looking at him whilst taking grasp of his shoulders. “Are you sure? We were certain he was dead together with you.”

  However, despite the words, Lutiel shook his head. “I’m not perfectly certain as it appeared through flickering images, but right before the explosion happened, I think I saw someone with three horns and wings fly away with him in their hands,” he said, immediately making both of their faces quiver.

  “No, no, no, this can’t be,” the pope muttered under his breath, his eyes widened to the brink.