Chapter 161: Announcing to the World - Part 1
Meanwhile...
In the Mayor's Mansion, Arthamonth Town...
On the spacious balcony of the mansion, Luna, wearing a sea-blue nightgown with her black hair flowing long to her buttocks, sat on a chair, gazing at the two moons, Sylvia and Miranda, in the sky with a slightly dazed expression.
As her mind wandered, she couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling and premonition from earlier, which left her confused.
"Why would such a premonition arise? Has something bad happened without my knowledge, or is there another reason?" Luna whispered, her chest tightening with confusion.
For some inexplicable reason, whenever that unsettling feeling gripped her, Leon's face inevitably intruded upon her thoughts, causing her breathing to become slightly labored.
Though uncertain if it truly connected to Leon, deep within, Luna couldn't shake the belief that the source of her unease stemmed from him.
As Luna started to feel confused, a sudden sound of footsteps behind her shattered the moment.
*Step! Step!*
At the sound, Luna snapped to attention, masking her surprise with a nonchalant expression as she turned to see Valen, dressed in a red sleeping robe, standing there with a faint smile.
"What brings you here?" Luna asked casually.
Valen didn't reply, merely smiling as he approached and took a seat beside Luna without uttering a word.
This elicited a slight frown from Luna, but she swiftly shook her head and disregarded the presence of the muscle-brained man, returning her gaze to the two moons in the sky.
Neither of them spoke, creating a quiet atmosphere until Valen finally broke the silence.
"Luna, concerning the premonition we both felt earlier, do you have any thoughts on what it might signify?" Valen inquired, his tone calm.
Luna cast a dismissive glance at him and shook her head.
"I can't say for certain, but I have a feeling it's connected to the upcoming war tomorrow. It seems trouble might be on the horizon," Luna replied in a casual tone.
She refrained from mentioning that her unease was somehow tied to Leon's whereabouts, deeming it unnecessary.
Furthermore, she recalled Arshley's message, warning her not to disclose Leon's survival or discuss him in the presence of Velix or his subordinates, including Valen.
Upon hearing Luna's response, Valen smiled sarcastically, shaking his head.
"If that's your speculation, it's quite different from mine. I sense it's not linked to the impending war but to something entirely else," he remarked nonchalantly.
Luna was taken aback, her surprise evident as she asked, "Something else? What do you mean?"
Valen chuckled softly, his gaze drifting up to the two moons in the sky. "It's Leon," he replied casually.
As soon as Luna heard this, her eyes widened in disbelief, poised to inquire further. But before she could utter another word, a sudden jolt rocked them both.
*Dum!*
The violent shaking of the ground threatened to collapse the entire mansion at any moment, prompting them to hastily rise to their feet.
"What's causing this shaking? Could it be an enemy attack?" Luna inquired, her voice tinged with wariness as she steadied herself against the massive tremors.
"I'm not sure, but we must investigate. It seems this shaking is spreading throughout the town," Valen replied, his expression appearing grave.
Luna nodded slightly, and soon the two swiftly vanished from their positions.
***
Atop the town wall, Luna and Valen, clad in their battle robes, gazed at the desert of chaos with solemn expressions.
In their view, a purplish-black beam of light shot up into the sky, shrouding the entire night sky in darkness and looming with ominous black clouds.
"What is that purplish-black light?" Luna inquired, her holy power channeled, and the Celestial Frost Holy Bow held vigilantly in her hand.
"I don't know, but I sense a formidable threat," Valen replied, his grip tight on the Soaring Dragon Holy Spear.
Their eyes met, both wearing expressions of concern.
As confusion engulfed them, both of their holy weapons shone brightly, instantly startling them.
Yet, before they could react, the weapons shot upwards, unleashing simultaneous bright white lights that soared into the sky, illuminating the entire town of Arthamonth and its surroundings.
Witnessing this scene, both of them were left dumbfounded and astonished.
"What's happening?"
...
Twenty kilometers from the walls of the Imperial Capital, Guren, Rain, and Jim stood side by side.
"Sword Hero Guren, I congratulate you once again on successfully obtaining the recognition of the Holy Sword of Zenith," Jim said respectfully, a thin smile tinged on his lips.
"Hahaha! Thank you, Prime Minister, and I also thank you for helping me many times in the past so that I could become a sword hero." Guren exclaimed, laughter bubbling up as he tightly grasped the holy sword Zenith in his right hand.
"You praise me too much, Sword Hero Guren," Jim replied, shaking his head slightly.
The two continued to talk for a bit before Rain suddenly interrupted them.
"Can you two please stop your conversation? I want to return to Arthamonth Town to rest immediately," Rain said in a cold, indifferent tone, instantly causing both of them to smile stiffly.
"Ahem! Well, Sword Hero Guren, I pray that in tomorrow's war, you can bring victory to humanity," Jim said respectfully, bowing his head slightly and bringing his palms together.
Guren nodded slightly, and just as he was about to speak, the ground beneath them suddenly shook.
*Dum!*
The shaking caught all three of them off guard, and they exchanged startled glances.
"What's happening?" Guren asked, confused, as he struggled to keep his balance amidst the increasing tremors.
Jim frowned without answering, turning his gaze toward Rain and silently urging her to investigate.
Noticing Jim's look, Rain nodded and was about to raise the magic staff of Calamity when suddenly, the holy sword Zenith in Guren's hand began to shake violently.
*Buzz!*
At the same time, a bright light illuminated the entire blade before it broke free from Guren's grip and shot up into the sky.
Stunned by the sudden turn of events, Guren quickly came to his senses, his face pale.
"Damn it! My holy sword!" Guren roared, ready to give chase, but Jim swiftly restrained him.
"Wait! Don't go!" Jim's urgent words brought Guren's impulsive movement to an abrupt halt.
"My holy sword is gone! How can I stay still?" Guren retorted angrily.
"You don't need to leave. The Holy Sword Zenith hasn't left you; it's hovering above," Jim explained, pointing upwards with a serious expression.
Guren glanced upward and felt an immediate sense of relief wash over him as he saw the Holy Sword Zenith hovering in the sky.
He had feared the Holy Sword Zenith he had just obtained would leave him, but it hadn't.
Turning his gaze toward Jim, Guren asked in confusion and wonder, "Prime Minister Jim, do you have any insight into what's happening with the Holy Sword Zenith?"
Upon hearing his question, Jim furrowed his brow, his gaze fixed on the Holy Sword Zenith with a puzzled expression.
"I don't understand either," he replied with a shake of his head, eliciting frowns from Rain and Guren as well.
*Whoosh!*
Just as the three were puzzled, the Holy Sword of Zenith, which had been quietly hovering above the sky, suddenly emitted a brilliant light before soaring into the heavens, illuminating the night sky within a radius of tens of kilometers, including the capital, turning it into day.
Watching this scene, the three widened their eyes in disbelief.
"This is..."
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A/N: I'm not feeling well, and I'll probably take tomorrow off from writing. However, if my condition improves after sleeping, I will still upload tomorrow's chapters.
Thank you, and stay tuned!