Chapter 7: Lament of the Frost (Part One)

Ace felt his heart suddenly fill with calm, feeling that this legendary King was so trustworthy. Was this perhaps the influence of a supernatural ability? he wondered.

Ronamos watched his people slowly quiet down and said in a gentle voice:

“Since the 90th year after the city-state was established, you have rarely seen me. The city-state’s affairs have been managed by the Crown Prince Talon Medea, and he has done very well in the past 10 years, repelling the harassment of the Southern Merfolk, sweeping across the barbarian tribes within our territory, and vigorously attracting immigrants from civilized nations. The city-state’s population has greatly increased, and it is increasingly prosperous. Tonight, here, I pay my respect to our Crown Prince, Talon Medea.”

Crown Prince Talon Medea bowed slightly forward. Ronamos then said:

“The city-state is a collective. Nobles , Citizens , Freemen , and even Slaves all perform their duties, allowing the city-state to prosper and endure. Here, I thank every Noble of Divine Blood , who used the supernatural power bestowed by the gods to defeat the Monsters and protect the city-state.”

The Nobles in white robes and purple ribbons leaned forward reservedly as a return gesture.

“I also thank every respected Citizen. You are the city-state’s managers and governors, and it is with your assistance that the entire city-state is increasingly prosperous,” Ronamos continued.

The Citizens in white robes and red ribbons looked solemn, leaning forward significantly and holding the posture. Romon’s expression was complex, both proud and ashamed.

“I am even more grateful to every Freeman. You enrich all sectors of the city-state and provide for the city-state’s food, clothing, housing, and transportation. You are the cornerstone of the city-state.”

“City Founder, great!”

“City Founder, great!”

The shouts rose one after another, the sound carrying for miles.

Ace’s father, Romon , shouted until he was hoarse, and Ace followed along with a weak voice.

At the same time, he keenly sensed that this City Founder seemed to be preparing to hand over power, making gradual preparations. Was it to unite the people? Or to build momentum for the Crown Prince?

After about 10 minutes, the continuous shouts gradually decreased. Ronamos pressed his hands forward virtually, and the crowd quieted down.

“Tonight, I am honored to tell you that, by the grace of the Goddess, I will soon depart for the residence of the gods , Kaya Mountain. Before I leave, I hope to recall with all of you the great journey of our city’s founding.”

After speaking, he raised his right hand, and a splendid, rainbow-colored light burst forth from his hand. Because it was too dazzling, Ace shielded his eyes with his hand. When he opened his eyes again, the surrounding scene had completely changed.

The City Hall Square, the bustling city-state residents, and the temple were all gone. Ace was standing at the entrance of a splendid, golden hall. An attendant was smiling, guiding him into the hall.

He looked up at the dome of the hall, which was painted with scenes from Myths and Epic Tales. He could only recognize a few of them.

Directly in front was a huge screen, slowly drawing open. At the center of the stage, a splendid, rainbow-colored vortex slowly rotated, mysterious and seductive.

At this moment, Ronamos’s magnetic, deep voice rang out.

“My people, welcome to your King’s Noble Phantasm—Ronamos’s Dream Theater! Please follow the guidance of the attendant, walk through the hall’s seating, and step into the rainbow vortex in the center of the stage!”

A Noble Phantasm? It seems this is another mysterious supernatural item. Ace thought this as he followed the attendant and walked into the rainbow vortex at the center of the stage.

As Ace entered the rainbow vortex, a blinding flash of light suddenly erupted before his eyes. When the light faded, he found himself in a palace.

The style of the palace was somewhat similar to the Medimus Palace. In the main hall on the central axis, a handsome young man stood on the second floor. He wore a white robe with a purple ribbon, a golden olive branch crown on his head, and gazed silently at the sunset.

Ace tried to walk toward him but found that he could not move past a certain distance. So, he found a long bench to sit on and watched this fully immersive, otherworld movie seriously.

He did not wait long. The sun gradually set. As day transitioned to night, a soft, silver-white light stroked the young King before him, like long-separated lovers caressing each other, or perhaps softly whispering.

“Aleias, this is our child. Mortals cannot live permanently on Kaya Mountain. I can only entrust him to you to take good care of him.”

A pair of pristine white hands reached out from the light. She handed the infant to the young King.

At this moment, the entire city seemed to whisper, “Ronamos , Ronamos.”

“Medea, my Goddess. How I wish I could abandon everything and serve you forever in the dwelling of the gods. Alas, I am not a legendary Hero, I cannot physically enter the invisible Kaya Mountain. I will take good care of our child. He will be the future King of Ronamos City-State.”

Aleias carefully accepted the infant and said gently.

A legendary Hero? That should be a qualification or a level of the supernatural. Reaching it grants the qualification or ability to reside permanently on Kaya Mountain. Ace analyzed this as he watched.

“Aleias, everyone has their own responsibilities. The moment I became the Goddess of Elegance, it became difficult for us to spend our lives together like ordinary lovers.”

“But death is merely another great adventure. When your life reaches its end, I will bring you to my kingdom, and we will stay together there until the end of the world.”

Her pristine white hand stroked the King’s face. Slowly, the light vanished, and she, too, was nowhere to be seen.

It seems that the Deities also have certain restrictions and cannot reside permanently in the mortal world. And the beings of this world must have souls. Ace seized this rare opportunity to seriously summarize and analyze the various possibilities of the supernatural world.

Just then, the scene suddenly changed.

“Clang!”

“Clang, clang, clang!”

“Clang!”

This was a spacious courtyard. The middle-aged Aleias was sparring with a young boy who closely resembled him.

The boy looked to be about 11 or 12 years old. His short sword had been struck away, and he was leaning on the ground, breathing heavily. Sweat dripped from his hair and cheeks onto the ground, making a “drip-drip” sound.

“Ronamos, you have made great progress today. After you awaken your Divine Blood, you will become increasingly powerful.”

Aleias said this as he accepted a wool towel from a standing young man nearby, gently wiping Ronamos’s sweat.

“Father, I can do it myself. When will I become as powerful as you?”

Ronamos snatched the wool towel and wiped the sweat off himself haphazardly, asking Aleias longingly.

“Ronamos, my son. Do you know what a Noble is? And what is a Hero?”

Aleias looked at Ronamos’s eyes, which were as bright as the stars and gem-red like his own, and asked gently.

“A Noble is a descendant of a god , and a Hero is the most powerful group of people among the Nobles.”

Ronamos said without hesitation.

“My son, what you say is not wrong, but it is not precise. A Noble is a descendant of a god and has awakened the potential of the Divine Blood. Although they are stronger than ordinary people, they are not truly supernatural. A Hero is an all-encompassing sublimation; the essence of their life is fundamentally different from that of a mortal. Look!”

Aleias raised his right hand and pointed to the sky. His demeanor changed instantly. The ambient temperature plummeted, and even Ace, the casual observer, felt the cold. A great sword made of ice, 40 meters long, quickly grew out of Aleias’s right hand.

The scorching sun was high, yet snow began to fall around them. Aleias shouted and brought the 40-meter-long ice great sword down toward the doorway.

“Boom!” The courtyard’s door instantly vanished, and the straight cobblestone path leading from the door disappeared, leaving only a deep rift, hundreds of meters long and nearly dozens of meters deep.

Ace’s pupils instantly constricted. A Hero was actually this powerful, far exceeding the limits of a mortal. They were practically a different species.

(End of this chapter)