Crown of Thorns

CHAPTER 80

Team: Starrynight, WilsonWilson, Stephanie

‘How ordinary.’

That was all that came to Evan’s mind upon meeting the emperor. From his all but graying hair that left no room for anyone to attempt guessing his actual hair color, to his dimmed but sharp blue eyes, all the way to his gaunt face which emitted a distasteful aura, the emperor was exactly how Evan had imagined him to be. Yet he could not help but feel that the emperor was nothing more than a mundane existence.

He didn’t convey the impression of the heavenly ruler of the Empire, not of a son of God blessed by the Goddess, nor of an emperor of tremendous power and authority to subdue anyone. It was Yohan’s spirit, however, who was handing over Nyx’s artifact to Evan, that fit the description perfectly. It may be because of his surrounding aura that had hardened more than usual, but it was obvious that he was more suited to be the emperor, and it wasn’t due to the difference of age or strength.

No place could escape the emperor’s scrutiny from his high seat.

Evan hadn’t dwelled on that thought for long though because Neriano’s next words shocked him senseless.

“This is the token of Ferrero, the one and only holy sorcerer. It is the emblem that represents the imperial sorcerer. Evan, who carried that object, is clearly able to control the Light. This is definitely the goddess’s blessing. A miracle.”

“The Imperial sorcerer, you say?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, as you’ll remember. That power will surely be of great help.”

“Oh, of course, I know. Definitely. Many people have witnessed his power more than once. The late Emperor had also managed to establish his reign thanks to the power of the Imperial sorcerer. But that was because people could do magic at the time, was it not?”

“I’m very curious about that, but I can certainly say that he can use the power of Light. Maybe he is the resurrection of the Imperial sorcerer.”

“Hmm… the Imperial sorcerer… It’s been a long time since I last heard of him. That position was taken by one person only. It’s no exaggeration to say that the Imperial sorcerer was the highest position in this palace, aside from the late Emperor and me. Such great ability indeed, did a sign or a mark appear? And how come at this time precisely?”

The Emperor’s eyes were on Evan. There was nothing he could say or add so he kept to himself. The story goes that there were actually two sacred sorcerers in history. One worked for the Empire as an Imperial sorcerer, and the other one roamed the world to spread the love of the Goddess.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Imperial sorcerer was the mastermind of the glory era and he was also said to be a great man.

Now, this artifact belonged to Evan; how could this make sense? The person who gave this to him was none other than Nyx! The witch who uses Darkness which is considered an element to fear, Nyx!

“…I understand. Leave.”

The emperor’s gaze pierced through Evan’s mind as if he was trying to gauge his feelings. He then shook his hand in the air, ordering him to leave his presence. Evan walked out of the door, saying nothing but his greetings and farewell. Soon after, a man who appeared to be the Grand Chamberlain approached Evan and said that he would guide him to his residence. Only Neriano and Evan were allowed to enter there, and Yohan of course, the commander of the Knights. Eventually, he had been ordered to leave the throne room.

Evan wanted to ask why, but he couldn’t do that because the person in charge, Yohan, nodded calmly without opening his mouth. As he walked a little longer, Nyx’s Shadow, who was hovering in the hallway, seemed unable to enter the throne hall for some reason. It was the first time Evan saw her Shadow retreat and not show up again.

After riding in a carriage that had awaited them in front of the entrance, what appeared after moving a little further from the main imperial palace was a smaller palace. It felt a little shabby compared to the emperor’s, but it was large and colorful because it was another imperial palace. When Evan and Neriano headed off, the carriage that was carrying Yohan went out along with theirs.

Evan stared at the building and followed the guide inside.

“You can stay here from now on. They said they would also send the maids to serve, so if you need anything, please let them know. Most of what you need will probably be brought by the maids,” He added suddenly after giving a stiff bow as if he had only just remembered.

“Oh, stay away from the main palace as much as you can. If you value your life, that is. If you have anything you need there, you can ask a maid to guide you. Well then, make yourself at home.”

“How long do I have to stay here? And what am I supposed to do here?”

“I was ordered to bring you here, that’s all I know. So you can stay here until The Son of Heaven orders otherwise. And… It doesn’t matter what you do. You have nothing to do here and you don’t need to. Everyone who comes to the palace has already done enough.”

After finishing his speech, the grand chamberlain left the palace without looking back. Evan, who waited until the sound of his steps disappeared, asked, lifting the object that was still emitting Light.

“What the hell is this? I need to hear an explanation.”

“You had that thing with you even though you didn’t know what it was? But isn’t the item yours?”

It wasn’t his originally. Nyx gave it to him, saying that it was his from that moment on.

“No, it is mine. It was given to me, but I wasn’t told anything about it. I was only informed to keep it as my property. What does it do? What do you mean it belonged to the Imperial sorcerer?

“I’ve always told you, haven’t I? There were many sorcerers back in the day; however, only 2 among them were holy sorcerers. They mobilized astoundingly frightening powers of healing, blessing, and purification.”

“I know that. But what the hell does that have to do with this thing?”

“Don’t you feel anything here?”

“Feel what… ?”

His words made Evan shiver from the inside as if he had poured cold water on his head. The heavenly palace was full of familiar energy. He thought that he knew what it was even if he didn’t say it out loud, and why Nyx’s Shadow couldn’t come after him there. Though she seemed to be strong enough to go in and out of the tower freely, this was the imperial palace. It couldn’t simply have charms to merely restrict unwanted visitors cast on it.

“The fact that the era of glory, the most peaceful and prosperous of all eras, still continues to be talked about even though it was so long ago means that the power of the sacred sorcerers was just as great. I’m sure you felt it, too. The sacred spells that remain in the palace. One of the two sorcerers of the sacred family was busy conveying the goddess’s love while hiding his appearance, but the other stayed in the imperial palace and worked hard to protect this place along with the empire. This object is his token. It’s an emblem that represents an Imperial sorcerer, and it’s a piece of magic that most sorcerers can’t even interpret. I, myself, have tried desperately to do so too, but to no avail. It’s a precious thing that almost got buried in this world.”

Is this item really the token of an imperial sorcerer? Evan looked blankly as he stared at the object in his hand again.

“The man who gave you this must have something to do with the Imperial sorcerer. There is a possibility that you have the blood of the imperial sorcerer, but if you don’t, then it will be difficult to explain your capabilities with Light. I have you by my side because I believe that the former is true.”

“Why…? Why do you keep me by your side?”

“Because your power may be the only hope to bring back the glorious days of the past.”

It was an unbelievable story. If that was true, then how can Nyx, the one who gave this to him, be related to the Imperial sorcerer? Come to think of it, he wasn’t the only one who was weird. Nyx definitely taught him all about his power, which was born from the Light, despite using the power of Darkness herself. He remembered the books she was always reading. Now that he thought about it, they were all books that tackled holy magic.

How was Nyx able to do that? Evan couldn’t believe that she was connected to the Imperial sorcerer.

Even though he knew it couldn’t be, ridiculous thoughts rushed through his mind. It’s absurd to think that Nyx might have the blood of the Imperial sorcerer. However, doubts have turned into convictions. Come to think of it, she definitely went in and out of the tower, which was supposed to block Darkness. And although she couldn’t enter the heavenly palace, she could still feel the holy magic in it. She was a Dark creature, he doubted the emperor would have let her in willingly...

‘Nyx, just who the hell are you?’

He was curious about her origin from the beginning. So far, it was just a small doubt in his mind, but he was satisfied with the fact that he knew the truth of a witch that no one else knew.

Furthermore, it occurred to him that this might be the only way to get her. Yohan could help him since he knew the truth. There was nothing Evan wouldn’t do to get Nyx, whom he so needed.

Evan had to wait and see if this is an opportunity or a poison, but he didn’t intend to give up easily.

Since then, Evan had taken the maids into his room, looking for a way to avoid Nyx’s gaze.

When he brought a maid into his room, Nyx’s Shadow would leave through the door. Once he put them on the bed and whispered in their ear, the Shadow disappears entirely.

“Pretty. Long eyelashes, red lips, and white skin. “

He recalled Nyx’s black eyelashes, red lips, and white skin. He just brought the calmest and quietest maid into the room, but he was surprised that the atmosphere was quite similar to the one when he was with Nyx. Somehow, he felt ashamed as if he had revealed his feelings for Nyx, who seemed to have been exposed to his taste, but it was only for a while.

After Nyx disappeared like that, he closed his mouth and whispered sweetly his small thanks to the maid, and asked to be left alone. She was definitely calm and timid, and she liked it even more when his feelings were expressed without the need to touch her, it made them sincere. It was not very pleasant to use a woman, but there was nothing else he could do, so he threw away the guilt of his conscience.

And after days of trying this tactic, Nyx surely kept away from his private life and he noticed that she didn’t come back all night long. Evan had finally found a way to move freely without her keeping watch over him.

Evan, who had been struggling for days and days to remember the past, had finally got on his feet. It still bothered him that Nyx’s real goal was still unknown, but he decided to face one issue at a time.

If Yohan truly were the Commander that Evan knew, then he would definitely see through the truth and give him a helping hand.

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