The grand cathedral of the imperial capital was built exceedingly tall and imposing, the most magnificent structure after the Red Fort. At this moment, on the Silent Sisters Avenue before the cathedral, countless citizens had already gathered, and nearly the entire city guard had been mobilised to barely maintain order at the scene.
The Crown War had not been held in the empire for several centuries, which naturally aroused immense interest among the populace. Of course, the inevitable accompaniments included various betting pools, though after the massive upset in Ye Chui’s duel by trial against the snake-haired Yuren last time, most people’s enthusiasm for wagers seemed to have diminished considerably. The original major bookmakers no longer dared to operate, or simply would not, the finance minister’s alias Hess running a book having been exposed, leading to his estate being raided, and now Hess was still languishing in the empire’s prison.
The other bookmakers had fared no better, some even driven to suicide by unbearable gambling debts.
Even so, the Crown War remained the primary topic of conversation among the capital’s residents lately, now igniting tremendous fervour in everyone. The wide avenue was lined on both sides with throngs of people, and the princes participating in the Crown Battlefield passed through one by one: the first prince, the second prince, the third prince…
Behind each one trailed the seven guards they had chosen, a motley assortment including household retainers, mercenaries, Magic Guild members, all sorts present, while Ye Chui and his group, as the thirteenth prince’s guards, brought up the rear.
Thanks to Ye Chui’s current renown, they also received the most cheers from the crowd; now the thirteenth prince was the frontrunner in calls to claim the throne. The twelfth prince ahead of them was only three years old, held in the hand of a noblewoman-like figure; that woman was the eldest daughter of the Moonstone family and also Xueyi’s elder sister, and she herself would join the Crown Battlefield as one of the twelfth prince’s guards.
The twelfth prince seemed unaware of what awaited him, happily waving his little hands and emitting childish laughter, utterly innocent and carefree.
The eleventh prince further ahead was an eight-year-old child, dubbed the commoner prince; his mother came from humble origins, with no backing whatsoever, and the guards following the eighth prince looked like ordinary mercenaries, lacking any spirit, appearing utterly dejected. The eleventh prince’s small face was taut, on the verge of tears, everyone knowing that among all the princes, he was likely the least hopeful of ultimate victory.
The Crown War was indeed cruel.
Ye Chui withdrew his gaze from peering ahead, his brows furrowing as he turned to look behind him: “Has Lance not arrived yet?”
“That lad seems so steady usually, yet he drops the ball at the crucial moment!” Debbie fumed, hands on her hips.
Ressa frowned, however: “I have already sent someone to the prince’s residence to find him… I have a feeling something might have happened.”
Ressa’s suspicion proved correct; just as Ye Chui and his group reached the cathedral’s entrance, a castle servant came rushing over breathlessly, trying to inform Ye Chui of something, but he was blocked by the city guards. After Ye Chui went over, he heard the man shout in panic: “Mr Ye Chui, I just went to the prince’s residence and learned that shortly before departure, someone attacked Lord Lance; the assailant gravely wounded him in an instant, and he is now unconscious. Several light magi are treating him, but it seems he cannot recover in the short term.”
“Someone attacked? Understood, I see.” After returning to his companions, Ye Chui relayed the matter to the others.
“They timed it so precisely, choosing this exact moment… Could it be to whittle down our numbers in advance?” Shilaisi puzzled.
“But what use is that? Injuring Lance and keeping him from the Crown Battlefield, we can simply find a replacement; if they aim to deplete our strength, wounding Lance has little effect.” Ressa analysed too. “Unless…”
“They want to insert someone else into our team.” Ye Chui looked towards the princes ahead, and at High Priestess Elisa in her red robes standing on the platform inside the cathedral. Who had gravely wounded Lance? To instantly cripple a swordsman with a score of one hundred and twenty… it was likely at least a black zodiac attendant level expert, or perhaps the black zodiac attendant herself had struck.
Ye Chui thought of something and scanned the surroundings; here, he saw neither the black zodiac attendant nor Posley.
All the princes and their guards had entered the cathedral, the enthusiastic crowds barred outside; several privy council members were present too, though the old emperor and Prince Geller were absent. High Priestess Elisa recited the rules of the Crown Battlefield.
Upon entering the Crown Battlefield, the princes would be randomly dispersed across the secret realm and each receive their guardian spirit; the princes would have a period to familiarise themselves with their guardian spirits’ powers.
The Crown Battlefield itself harboured some terrifying races, which would become enemies to all princes; in the Crown Battlefield, one had to contend not only with other princes but also the survival pressures inherent within.
The Crown Battlefield’s time would halt the moment the final victor was chosen; otherwise, it would continue indefinitely.
Participating princes could choose to surrender and forfeit their claim to the throne, but surrendered princes must remain in the battlefield until its end to leave.
Princes could also form alliances or pledge fealty to another prince, but whether fealty or alliance, there were no bindings; betrayal could occur at any time. This was originally a venue simulating war’s cruelty, where any stratagem was permissible.
Due to the Crown Battlefield’s uniqueness, only those bearing a prince’s title and his seven guards could enter; this rule could not be altered, so no need to fear external interference.
A prince’s guards must not harm the prince; guards of the same prince could not kill each other, or they would suffer “secret realm divine retribution”!
…
When reaching the last point, High Priestess Elisa suddenly looked towards Ye Chui’s side, her aged voice continuing: “Each prince must have seven guards; this is the rule, unchangeable… So, thirteenth prince, you seem to have only six guards?”
“One of my guards encountered an issue.” Jacob stated truthfully; participating in the Crown War meant enduring horrific slaughter, and after Lance’s mishap, finding someone willing to join on short notice, with sufficient strength and trustworthiness, was no easy task. Lance had only been confirmed as one of their own after Ye Chui’s various checks, so they had already decided against seeking a newcomer.
But this clearly would not suffice.
“The number of guards is for fairness; it must be seven.” The high priestess stated impartially, her gaze suddenly shifting around. “Then, is there anyone else willing to become the thirteenth prince’s guard? Per the rules, if a prince cannot muster enough guards, the strongest among volunteers will be selected to serve.”
“There is such a rule?” Ye Chui was taken aback; Prince Geller had not mentioned this beforehand.
“Rules are fixed, yet also imperfect, so each Crown War allows for some modifications; these are trivial matters of no consequence.” High Priestess Elis smiled as she spoke.
Ye Chui’s eyes chilled; this rule was clearly modified to insert an outsider among them!
High Priestess Elis then addressed those barred outside the cathedral: “Do any of you wish to become the thirteenth prince’s guard?”
Almost the instant High Priestess Elisa’s words fell, several people immediately stepped forward from the church’s exterior.
“I am willing to become the thirteenth prince’s guard!”
“I, Camus, am willing to serve the thirteenth prince!”
Ye Chui’s eyes swept over these people; they were likely pre-arranged to fill Lance’s absence! Entering the secret realm as the thirteenth prince’s guard would bind them by rules, preventing Ye Chui and the others from acting against this guard, lest they incur “secret realm divine retribution”!
“Thirteenth Prince Your Highness, please select one from among them; if you do not choose, the church will exercise its right to have them compete and select the strongest.” High Priestess Elis continued.
“This…” Jacob hesitated momentarily, glancing at Ye Chui.
Ye Chui also looked at the volunteers who had stepped forward; among them were even several black-armoured guards, all showing as white dots on the magic guidebook map, but lack of hostility did not mean they would not act against their interests. He truly did not wish to choose from these people. As Ye Chui hesitated, a crisp voice suddenly rang out from outside the cathedral.
“Step aside, all of you; let me do it!”
With this voice, the onlookers were pushed apart, and a red figure swiftly ran in; it was Dany, changed into a blood-red robe, the very outfit from her first appearance before Ye Chui and the others. She looked somewhat urgent, sweat beading on her forehead; lifting her skirt hem, she hurried to Ye Chui and the group, not forgetting to give a slight smile to the stunned Ye Chui and others, then waving at the volunteers: “No need for you lot; stand down. The seventh is me.”
“Dany, how did you come!” Jacob hurriedly stepped forward in surprise to ask.
“I was planning to meet you all at the guild this morning, but because I was too excited last night, I only fell asleep in the latter half of the night, and when I woke, time had run out; fortunately, I just made it.” Dany explained happily, patting her chest. “I’m starving; I skipped breakfast, so looks like I’ll have to wait until we’re in the Crown Battlefield to eat.”
Everyone: “…”
Girl, are you treating the Crown Battlefield like a holiday trip?
Ye Chui looked at Dany with some sweat; she had vanished for so many days, only to save up a big move and barge in shamelessly at the last moment to join them… Yet now, it seemed that for the seventh guard, no one was more reliable than Dany. Though her strength was lacking, at least she was trustworthy, and in the perilous secret realm, trustworthy companions were the most precious!
Thinking this, Ye Chui immediately said to High Priestess Elisa: “We select Dany Anduin as the seventh!”
“No.”
However, High Priestess Elisa drawled: “Per the rules, those candidates have already stepped forward; they hold priority over Dany to join.” Pausing, Elisa revealed a peculiar smile. “If you insist on Dany joining, that is simple enough; as long as you prove Dany stronger than them, by having her defeat them, it will suffice.”
At this, many in attendance chuckled; who in the entire capital did not know what sort of person Dany was? In terms of combat prowess, she was absolutely an embarrassment to Ye Chui and the others!
Ye Chui and his group’s faces also darkened considerably; though outsiders could not interfere once in the secret realm, before entry, the secret realm was under church custody, and the rules were their formulation. This was clearly targeted at Ye Chui!
As Ye Chui felt anger rising, he heard Dany say lightly: “Defeat them, is that all? Very well then, you few, come at me together.”
As the crowd looked over, the red-robed girl was proudly lifting her chin, hands on hips, gazing imperiously at the other volunteers.
“Dany, what are you doing?” Jacob hurriedly said to her.
Dany, however, grinned smugly and stepped forward a few paces, her eyes sweeping disdainfully over the volunteers.
Among the volunteers, the several black-armoured guards exchanged glances and stepped back, withdrawing from the competition; the remaining ones, however, showed no intention of retreating. A one-eyed swordsman walked out with a cold laugh, one hand grasping his sword hilt as he said to Dany: “Joker Girl, I have heard your name before; they say you are a girl with a peculiar mind, and it seems true. How about this, I will let you have one hand…”
Dany interrupted him, extending a slender finger: “No need; one of your sort, I can handle with a single finger.”
“What did you say?” The one-eyed swordsman’s expression hardened, and with a whoosh, he drew his longsword. “Ignorant fool…”
Then Dany’s extended finger crooked.
In the next instant, with a boom, blood-red tentacles burst from beneath the one-eyed swordsman’s feet, directly entwining him and slamming him onto the cathedral ceiling. The tentacles vanished thereafter, and with a bang, the one-eyed swordsman’s body crashed heavily to the ground.
This scene caught everyone off guard.
The other volunteers also began to act; among them were three swordsmen and one magus.
The magus first unleashed a terrifying flame spell at Dany, a blazing fireball that instantly smashed before her.
But a black hole emerged on the ground before Dany, from which a massive, man-eating flower-like horror lunged out, swallowing the fireball whole into its maw.
The man-eating flower swelled, as if on the verge of bursting.
At that moment, the three swordsmen also charged with their sword skills; the swollen man-eating flower suddenly twisted towards them, opening its giant maw, boom, expelling all the previously ingested flames; the three swordsmen cried out in alarm as they tumbled to the ground.
As they steadied themselves and prepared to attack again alongside the flame magus, their bodies suddenly stiffened; four black monstrous serpents had somehow coiled around them.
The serpents’ heads opened, revealing fangs fixed upon them.
The terrifying intimidation left the four unable to make any further moves.
The cathedral fell utterly silent in an instant.
Dany, hands on hips, turned smugly to glance at Ye Chui, then continued to High Priestess Elisa: “So, may I now become the thirteenth prince’s seventh guard?”
Everyone: “…”
Bloody hell, does hanging around Ye Chui automatically grant cheats?
