Chapter 821
The Death of Valentine VIII
March 26th, Lionheart City.
The news of Red Phase Pomanach’s death had reached Lionheart City before yesterday. Pomanach’s “children” were too closely connected to him through the Path of Love. Thus, they all possessed a certain mystical connection based on the same Path.
—When Pomanach died, all of his “children” sensed it at the same time.
If it were just one person, it might be an illusion. But if everyone sensed it at the exact same moment, it becoming a mistake seemed unlikely.
Even with solid evidence, they still took a full day to gradually accept this unbelievable fact.
“Father is dead?”
“Did Pomanach really die?”
—He was the strongest Child of the Moon in the world! A great being who was only half a step away from the legendary “Perfect Being” realm!
“Could this be another one of his pranks, or some kind of conspiracy? Or perhaps he died once already, but has been resurrected and is hiding among us, searching for the child who disrespected him…”
When Pomanach was alive, they wished for his death—because he interfered too much and had a violent temper. They were prominent figures in front of outsiders, but before Pomanach, they were like children. He would occasionally kick or push them, and if they made a mistake, he might even eat them.
But now that Pomanach was truly dead, they felt panic.
Without Pomanach, how could they stand against the Spirit Tower, whose Black Phase had awakened?
To take a step back… The trend of the unification of the Children of the Moon was arriving. Completely relying on Star Antinomy’s Child of the Moon as the main body was solely due to Pomanach’s influence. But now that Pomanach was dead, wouldn’t they have to become servants to foreign Children of the Moon? The Children of the Moon there were completely different from their gentle faction!
The era of Red Phase was over. What did this mean?
—It meant that the era of Valentine VIII was also coming to an end.
In their panic, they tried to find Count Leipzig to get an explanation, or at least some advice, only to discover he had also disappeared.
Through ritualistic positioning, they were able to confirm that Count Leipzig was not dead—he was still in the Spirit Tower and in good health.
The Children of the Moon immediately felt they had learned the truth.
—You scoundrel, you betrayed Father, didn’t you!
In the children’s minds, the only one who could quickly kill the vibrant ancestor Pomanach was probably the “Principal” of the Spirit Tower. And he had only just awakened. Necromancy already had a counter to the Children of a the Moon. If they were on the same level, and with conspiracy and sneak attacks, it might be possible to kill Pomanach…
As for the motive—it was likely that Pomanach had killed Valentine VII.
In fact, many among them strongly disagreed with Pomanach’s actions.
In any case, one should never lay hands on the King… The Elves of the Church would not interfere in matters arising from internal power struggles. Therefore, they could only use their own strength to prevent the monarch from being assassinated.
If Pomanach killed Valentine VII today, would Demon Scholars then kill Valentine VIII tomorrow? And then Alchemists would poison Valentine IX the day after, and finally, the Necromancers would kill everyone else and take them away. In the end, there would be no Valentine left.
Once the bottom line was crossed, the constraints of morality and rules would cease to exist.
When people realized that getting rid of the King was a way to solve many problems, the monarch’s rule would become unstable. This would lead to war and chaos… The Child of the Moon of Iris Flower might rejoice at this, but they were all believers of the Banquet Master—they just wanted pleasure and did not want to mess with dangerous things.
They wanted wealth and enjoyment, but not the work and responsibility that came with it. This meant they could only depend on the monarch and exist as “nobles.”
—But even knowing this was not right, what could they do?
Did they dare to offer advice to Pomanach?
If Pomanach got angry, he’d eat you alive.
While the Children of the Moon were in chaos, Professor Odvar Rasimi also learned the news from his lover and friend, Pomanach’s “daughter,” Blood Coral.
“…Pomanach is dead?” Professor Rasimi asked in shock.
As a professor at the Spirit Tower, he hadn’t received any information from the Spirit Tower. He immediately knew that he had probably been abandoned by the Spirit Tower.
If nothing unexpected happened… he felt that Pomanach’s death was somewhat related to him.
It was because he had passed on the information that “Alistair was in Leipzig” to Pomanach that Pomanach rushed to Leipzig. Shortly thereafter, both Count Leipzig and the first generation Red Phase Pomanach went missing…
Now that the Children of the Moon were in disarray and leaderless, no one had realized his involvement yet. But this situation would likely not last long.
—Professor Rasimi immediately began packing his belongings and preparing to flee.
He didn’t have many things to bring, mostly kept in his suitcase. Thus, after quickly returning to pack his bags, he rushed out with his suitcase.
As soon as he stepped out, he saw Blood Coral leaning quietly against the wall.
She was an incredibly beautiful girl who looked no older than seventeen or eighteen. She had long, wavy dark red hair, delicate and deep features, and her deep red pupils were shining with radiance. The girl stood with her arms crossed, looking at him with a meaningful sideways glance.
“Where are you off to?” she asked.
“…I plan to return to the Spirit Tower.” Professor Rasimi said expressionlessly, in his signature calm and low voice.
But he subconsciously tightened his grip on the suitcase—
The handle of the suitcase was made from human thigh bones. Although the crucial spine and skull were missing, holding the processed leg bones could still provide some magical buffs.
Blood Coral merely sneered, “Really? Are you sure you can still go back?”
“The Principal is gentle and doesn’t concern himself with these worldly matters. Moreover, my actions are under the tacit approval of the Black Phase.” Professor Rasimi said calmly.
“Perhaps.” Blood Coral said casually, “You might be able to return to the Spirit Tower, but others will soon realize your role in your father’s death. Someone might be grateful to you, but more will hate you. And the Children of the Moon hold grudges. Can you guarantee you’ll never leave the Spirit Tower again? If you don’t run now, by the time they realize… the ship won’t be safe.”
Hearing Blood Coral’s words, Professor Rasimi was somewhat surprised.
“‘Others’…” he quietly repeated Blood Coral’s words.
Professor Rasimi was intelligent—he immediately understood Blood Coral’s implication: “You want to leave Star Antinomy?”
“I’m very beautiful,” Blood Coral said without hesitation, “I should be the most beautiful among Star Antinomy’s Children of the Moon, shouldn’t I?”
“Yes.” Professor Rasimi nodded, then added, “Perhaps a little less than Miss Alistair.”
“…Mm, okay.” Blood Coral pouted unhappily and bluntly stated, “What I mean is, since Father is gone… I don’t feel very safe staying in Star Antinomy anymore. My brothers and sisters have been coveting me for a long time; my sister has always been hostile towards me. Not to mention the foreign Children of the Moon… they are too cruel and brutal. If I fall into the hands of my brothers and sisters, at worst I’ll be locked in the basement. But if I fall into the hands of the Child of the Moon of Iris Flower, I might be cruelly executed. Star Antinomy is no longer worth staying in. If you’re running, take me with you. I’m also very strong, and I can protect you as a teammate—by the way, where are you planning to go?”
“…The Dwarf Mountains in the Northern Continent, the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi in the East. Although they are hostile to Necromancers, they can still find work. Or I could go to Horus, who worships the Sun God; they are also skilled in Necromancy. Otherwise, I could go to the Southern Continent, there will always be a place to go.” Professor Rasimi said without hesitation, “As long as it’s not Avalon and Iris Flower, you can choose one.”
It was clear that he had long been prepared to flee.
“First, I rule out the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi and Horus. I don’t want to be captured and made a slave… The Horus people are not very friendly to the Children of the Moon. It’s either North or South.”
“Then let’s go South,” Professor Rasimi replied, “Trolls are easier to deal with than Dwarves.”
“Good, then let’s go.” Blood Coral nodded without hesitation, “The heavy snow outside is very harmful to me… Protect me to the port, and I’ll find a ship to take us. Do you have anyone else you need to take?”
Professor Rasimi’s mind flashed with the face of that child, Paul.
He hesitated and asked, “What about Paul? That child is your favorite blood servant, aren’t you taking him with you?”
“Are you sure?” Blood Coral gave him a meaningful look, “I thought you’d want our romantic moments alone… In that case, let’s go pick up Paul first. Having a child in hand will make communication with the Southerners easier. Those Trolls are not as wary of children. —If we’re stranded on a deserted island and can’t find food, he can also serve as your reserve food, can’t he? Necromancy is the art of utilizing corpses, isn’t it?”
“I won’t do that.” Professor Rasimi said without hesitation.
“Indeed,” Blood Coral said sarcastically, “After all, you prefer corpses to living people. If not for this habit of yours, I wouldn’t dare to leave with you.”
Rasimi remained silent, just pulling his suitcase and walking out.
At this time, the young monarch, Valentine VIII, was staring blankly at the heavy snow outside the window. His face was pale—
Just now, he had learned of the death of his “godfather,” Pomanach, from his mother, Louise.
—No, didn’t you just put me on the throne? You died… What about me?
“The winter night is long.” Louise whispered from behind him, gently hugging Valentine VIII, “This snow will likely not stop anytime soon.”
“So what, Mother?” Valentine VIII’s voice trembled slightly.
“This snow contains death aura. Those who die in the snow will turn into undead. We won’t be able to fight against Narcissus anymore, and even Black Eagle will likely cause trouble… The Spirit Tower probably won’t intervene. We first need to solve the problem of the undead disaster in Star Antinomy itself, and this will likely be a very long process. My strength is not that great, and I cannot protect you from so many people. To keep the Children of the Moon protecting you, some price will likely need to be paid. I don’t mind, but you… are ultimately human. You are not like us, able to draw strength and stabilize your mind from that kind of pleasure.”
“…So what?” Valentine VIII sobbed, his voice choked.
Because he had already sensed it—his mother was leaning on his back, and her warm breath was blowing on the back of his neck. Although it should have been a heartwarming scene, it now made Valentine VIII’s limbs go cold.
“I should have waited a few more days, but I can’t wait any longer. A monarch with many flaws is more of a negative than a positive…” As she spoke, Louise gently licked Valentine VIII’s neck. It was like disinfecting with alcohol before an injection. Her pupils shone with a vivid red glow, and Valentine VIII, his back to his mother, slowly shed tears.
“Grow up quickly, Lucien… become a true Child of the Moon.” She whispered, her eyes devoid of any sadness, but shining brightly, “For your own sake, and for the stability of Star Antinomy—Goodnight, little Lucien. I will wake you up in forty days.”
With that, she bit down on Valentine VIII’s neck and sucked his blood. Even as Valentine VIII’s limbs convulsed and his legs kicked wildly, she did not falter. Louise simply pressed down on her own son until she had completely drained his blood.
Then, she bit her thumb.
“Watch over your people, Blood Heavenly Envoy… grant them new life, as I have been reborn…” She chanted softly, and dripped two drops of blood into Valentine VIII’s eyes, then gently closed his open eyes.
“It is now March 26th…” Louise murmured, happily counting the days, “Forty nights later, the newborn Child of the Moon will awaken.”
Although at that time he could only act at night, could not be exposed to direct sunlight, and had to consume blood and Phantom Demons daily, in just forty more days, he would become a complete Child of the Moon.
“—By May 5th, the King belonging to this country will return to his position.” Louise said in a firm whisper, “Until then… let me exercise the King’s duties in his stead.”
(End of Chapter)
