Pillar of Yita

”Xiesta, your voice needs to be full and expressive,” Hilveld looked at her maid with irritation.

Xiesta merely glanced at her mistress with a dead-fish eye.

But a more shrill voice drowned out their conversation.

”Long live Lord Praetor!”

”Long live Madam!”

Fang Hong was climbing the roof of a house on all fours.

Upon hearing the cheers, he nearly blacked out and tumbled head-first from the roof.

He turned his head and saw Hilveld cheekily waving the Scepter of Regret from afar, mouthing to him:

”You can do it, Captain!”

Seeing this, Fang Hong was both moved and annoyed.

It was touching that a lady of distinguished birth would tarnish her reputation to aid him, which admittedly gave a sense of achievement, but it was annoying that he clearly felt Hilveld was doing this just to tease him.

She was absolutely capable of such an act—

The Dark Giant Dragon spreading its wings had almost caught up with the rear of the group.

From the rooftop, Fang Hong saw women, elderly, and children desperately driven forward by a sea of fire, mostly the infirm and disabled, many crying out in despair within the flames, left to helplessly wait as the flames encircled them.

Damn it!

Fang Hong couldn’t help but clench his fist.

But he had few options, only able to release the Clockwork Fairies to interfere with the Dragon’s Golden Eyes’ vision, yet as the tiny golden shadows just started flying past, they were caught up in the fiery storm.

Then there was silence.

This was the first time Fang Hong realized that the Clockwork Fairies were nothing more than toys in such combat.

But suddenly, a stroke of brilliance flashed through his mind, and he quickly removed the Control Gloves from his hands, casually tossing them aside, then raised his right hand high.

A dazzling green light.

Like a star, it slowly rose in the Upper City District, shining brilliantly.

If those trapped in the sea of fire behind had not noticed their Chief Praetor on the roof before, they certainly saw Fang Hong’s gesture now.

He raised his right hand, facing it towards Nikopolas in mid-air.

And there,

half a Crown Mark radiated a dazzling light.

”Pale Glory!?”

Fang Hong heard a piercing and incredulous voice as if drilling directly into his mind; it was Hes’s voice, but unlike the calm and brave tone of that girl.

The voice was laden with greed and malicious intent.

With a flap of its wings, the Dark Giant Dragon suddenly ascended, bypassing the weak behind, and lunged directly towards Fang Hong.

The shadow that cloaked the sky above the street cleared instantly.

But Fang Hong, seeing that the people were still stupidly looking at him on the roof, couldn’t help getting infuriated and yelled at them: ”Run—!”

His voice carried far and wide.

The people were stunned.

”Is that really the Lord Praetor!?”

”He’s drawing the Evil Dragon’s attention away from us!”

”Heavens, the Evil Dragon is heading towards him, it’s over, the Praetor is doomed!”

”Mom! Mom!”

A woman scooped up her child, casting one last glance at the splendid green light atop the roof, then turned and fled into the alley without looking back.

”Mom, who is that man?”

”He is our Chief Praetor.”

”Chief Praetor, is he a good man?”

”No,” the woman shook her head: ”He’s a hero—”

Haggston Cemetery Street.

Misu and Diket exchanged glances, pausing their steps, and turned to look at the dazzling green glow in the streets below. The elder knight clenched the sword in his hand, and after a moment of silence, he said: ”I owe him an apology, I’ve seen many nobles in northern Colin, but he is the bravest I have encountered. I’ve heard some rumors about the Grossel family... they may be cruel, but they do not lack courage—”

”But as for justice, it is rarely found among the people of this family.”

”There are always some exceptions, brave ones should trust each other,” Misu turned back and replied softly: ”What you owe him is not an apology, but to resolve this situation perfectly, allowing the people of Dolifen to survive.”

Diket nodded.

”What do we do next?”

”Wait and see what Luen does.”

The elder knight, with the brilliant light reflected in his eyes, replied in wonder: ”It’s strange to say, it’s only been a little while since we last saw him, but I always feel like Luen has been through a lot, somewhat different from the lad we met before.”

Misu appeared slightly startled: ”Really? I don’t see any difference.”

”Still as likable as ever? It seems that boy has stolen your heart, young lady of the Cadmos family.”

Misu’s face turned slightly red: ”Mr. Diket, please stop joking like that. I am merely a cursed person. I have decided to let this curse end with me.”

Mr. Diket silently glanced at her.

Then he shook his head.

The Dark Giant Dragon was shrieking as it pounced toward the flashing green light.

The golden pupil, which seemed like a burning fireball, reflected Fang Hong’s figure on the rooftop more and more closely.

The beast split its mouth, revealing its white sharp teeth, letting out a thunderous laugh in Fang Hong’s mind:

”Pale Glory, in my lifetime I never expected to see this thing; truly unexpected, human, what else do you have?”

The hot breath hit his face.

A gust of hot wind almost blew him off the rooftop. Fang Hong smelled something scorched; his hair, eyebrows, and clothes almost simultaneously began to burn.

But he raised another object in his hand fearlessly, lifted his head, and looked at the immense phantom of Nikopolas—the will of Dragon’s Golden Eyes behind it—and then spoke deliberately:

”I have many good things on me.”

”Like this thing. I think you might have seen it.”

He held up his hand, in which there was a pin emblazoned with a unicorn emblem, shaped like a four-leaf clover, tightly clasped in his palm.

On the heraldry were two lines of small text:

’Against all odds, dawn’s light—’

’Words of the star, holding a pure soul’

A golden Light’s Shield lit up around Fang Hong.

The grid, shining with golden light, emerged layer by layer like fish scales, a hexagonal network, identical to one he had seen on some barrier before.

The same outside Grey Oak Square.

The same Upper City District.

The same barrier.

It was as if Fang Hong heard something shattering in his heart, a terrified shriek from the Dragon’s Golden Eyes.

He knew he had gambled correctly once again.

And to all the outsiders, what people stopped and turned back to see was—their Chief Praetor, right hand raised high, amidst the sweeping storm of flames.

Unmoved.

The Dark Giant Dragon dove straight down and collided with him.

Everyone couldn’t help but close their eyes, but when they opened them again, they saw a vast golden net spreading across the sky.

The great golden net spread out from Fang Hong as the center—

It slowly extended into the air and then formed a huge barrier that enveloped the sky above the Upper City District, the golden light net hanging like a galaxy.

Like a miracle.

Dragon’s Golden Eyes smashed straight against that barrier and was flung back with a miserable scream.

The scene was vaguely familiar to Fang Hong.

But this time.

He saw a faint shadow emerge from the mark in his hand, looking like a misty phantom; she slowly turned around and glanced at Fang Hong.

Then she nodded.

In the blink of an eye, she vanished.

Leaving Fang Hong dazed on the spot: ”Wait, that was...” He slightly opened his mouth, feeling as if he had witnessed something incredible.

There was a moment of silence in the Upper City District.

Only the wind and the crackling sound of fire remained.

Then a somewhat frail, thin voice suddenly shouted: ”Long live Lord Praetor!”

After a moment of silence.

What Fang Hong heard was an overwhelming roar of voices, converging from all directions of the Upper City District: ”Long live Lord Praetor!”

”Long live Dolifen!”

”We will prevail!”

Fang Hong turned his head back.

Looking towards the distant crowd, where that smiling noble girl proudly waved her scepter at him.

And beside her stood an old man.

With a pale face and drooping eyelids, he silently watched him.

Eventually, he slowly turned away.

His figure disappearing into the vast crowd.

Leaving Fang Hong staring dazedly at a strange prompt appearing on his Summoners System:

’Gained the approval of the Grossel Family, condition concluded—’

’Gained the Grossel Family’s honor inheritance rights, condition updated—’

...