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A descendant of the Ackermanns had finally returned to the imperial capital after a thousand years, and it was definitely for the final plan.

At this point, Roel had to concede that he was lagging behind, and that spelled ill for humankind. It was ironic that the key of victory didn’t lie with the Savior now but between Roel and Lukas. He had never expected it would come down to this.

Needless to say, this news also piqued Antonio’s, Astrid’s, Paul’s, Carolyn’s, and the others’ anxiety. Fortunately, it wasn’t over yet.

While Lukas Ackermann had saved some traveling time through a teleportation spell, there were still some obstacles in his way. There were many Fallens roaming in the imperial capital, and the Savior’s seal hadn’t dissipated yet.

Charles failed to save Carolyn a thousand years ago because a huge number of magicians were required to unlock the seal to the Abyss at the Capital Cathedral. The amount of resources required was beyond what any single country could afford in the current human world.

Even if Lukas had arrived at the imperial capital ahead of them, he would have to fend off countless Fallens while attempting to unravel the seal. Roel might be lagging behind at the moment, but there was still a chance to turn the situation around.

The knowledge of that calmed Roel a little.

Another shocking piece of news he received was the arrival of Lilian and the others.

Nora Xeclyde, Charlotte Sorofya, and Lilian Ackermann had to leave to attend to other matters shortly after rescuing Roel from Hawe Desert. There were many things for them to chat about now that they were finally reunited, but the three of them were more concerned about Alicia.

“You’re back?” Nora said.

“I thought that it would be an eternal farewell, but you’re more obstinate than I thought,” Charlotte remarked.

The two of them heaved a sigh of relief despite their seemingly unconcerned words. Alicia revealed a rare smile and began chatting with them.

“Of course, I only temporarily left to become stronger so that I can better aid Lord Brother. Given our feelings, it’s a walk in the park for me to regain my memories.”

“…”

Roel’s cheeks twitched at Alicia’s bragging, as he was reminded of the difficulties he had faced. Before he could make any remark, he noticed something amiss with Lilian’s expression.

Lilian did look slightly relieved upon seeing Alicia, but she had understandably refrained from saying anything because she wasn’t as close to the latter as Nora and Charlotte. Instead, she looked at Roel, and there was something weird about her gaze.

Her eyes seemed to be contemplating or worrying about something. It felt like there was something she wanted to say.

On the other hand, Alicia quickly eroded Nora’s and Charlotte’s sympathy for her through her bragging, and it didn’t take long for the three of them to begin squabbling once more, though this scene felt unexpectedly heartwarming to Roel.

“Little sister Alicia, have you forgotten how you have accepted me into the Ascart House? I am your sister-in-law now,” Charlotte said smugly.

“Hm? Perhaps my memories haven’t fully recovered, but I don’t remember such a thing. Are you certain about it?” Alicia replied.

“What did you say?” Charlotte growled.

“Are the two of you done? I’ve already said that Roel belongs to the church…”

Roel watched their classic squabble with a faint smile.

They might quarrel at times, but they cared about and helped one another in times of need. While he struggled to comprehend their relationship, it was good to see them getting along, especially in such tumultuous times.

It was weird how a quarrel actually gave him ease of mind, and he wasn’t the only one who felt this way. It was a feeling shared by all of them, evident by how Lilian looked more relaxed even though she didn’t participate in the quarrel.

What Roel didn’t expect, however, was for him to be dragged into the argument.

“You said you’ve forgotten about it? Very well, I shall put that aside for now. However, there is something else I ought to inform you, Alicia.” Charlotte looked at Alicia with a gentle smile as she continued on, “Darling is mine now.”

“What?” Alicia asked.

“The Holy War Bloodline Protection Law. That law can be invoked in times of emergency, and it has been decided that we are Darling’s partners,” Charlotte explained.

“Partners?” Alicia was horrified.

“The law has decreed that only the three of us and the Knight Kingdom’s Wilhelmina are Roel’s lawful partners. You should understand what I’m getting at, Alicia. You’re too late.” Nora dealt the finishing blow.

“Lord Brother?” Unable to believe it, Alicia turned to Roel and exclaimed, “Lord Brother, what’s going on?!”

“No, this…”

“I should first clarify that Darling didn’t oppose it. Speaking of which, Miss Alicia, can you please release my darling’s hand?” Charlotte followed through with her attack.

Roel was left with a splitting headache. He had no choice but to speak the truth. “It’s true I didn’t oppose it, but there’s a reason for that. I didn’t have the right to oppose it at all…”

The Holy War Bloodline Protection Law was not optional, which meant that Roel theoretically didn’t have the right to decline, especially since his bloodline had been determined to be one of the necessary elements to humankind’s survival.

To put it bluntly, it was a matter of whether he would do it willingly or get jumped on.

“Of course, that’s all on paper. No one will really enforce such a ridiculous law, right?”

“…”

“…”

Cough.

Looking at Charlotte’s feigned cough, Lilian’s averted eyes, and Nora’s mischievous gaze, Roel was momentarily stunned before his face turned black.

What? So the three of you are really thinking of enforcing it?

Alicia immediately kicked up a fuss, saying that she ought to be added to the list too.

Roel had no choice but to take Alicia to Antonio to oppose the matter, and Nora and Charlotte followed them. He had a feeling that another battle was brewing, and he was right.

“The plan can be revised,” Antonio said.

“Principal Antonio, I believe we have already agreed to limit it to the four of us,” Nora sharply pointed out.

“It doesn’t count because I wasn’t around!” Alicia exclaimed.

With a sigh, Roel found an excuse to take his leave. Shortly after walking out the door, he bumped into someone whom he had expected to be waiting for him.

“Senior.”

“You’re done?” Lilian said with a nod. “Roel, there’s a matter I need to talk to you about.”

…

Roel had expected Lilian to approach him for a conversation, as there was one thing he had with Lilian that he didn’t have with the others—their unborn child.

Lilian had kept it in stasis for two years with her spell, but there was no doubt that the child was a priority for both of them.

Roel was surprised that Lilian had removed the temporal spell altogether and allowed their child to continue developing when the spell started to wear off. The fact that he was going to become a father still felt unreal to him.

“Senior, is it here?” he asked, touching a spot on her flat abdomen.

“Yes, it should be there,” Lilian replied with an embarrassed blush.

She had been pregnant for a while now, but the child inside her had only developed for two months thus far, so she looked no different than usual. Even so, Roel felt conflicted seeing her current state, and he didn’t know whether to let her join the battle or not.

By the rules of the Holy War, there were two reasons Lilian could use to be exempted from the battlefield.

One of them was her pregnancy.

Humankind granted special privileges to pregnant women, as their children represented its future. Moreover, pregnancy could undermine an individual’s fighting prowess, though this point didn’t apply to Lilian because her child was only two months old, and her fighting style didn’t require her to charge on the battlefield. Still, she was entitled to exercise this right.

The other reason was the fact that she was now the Austine Empire’s de facto leader.

There were two other princes in the Austine Empire who were vying for the throne, of course, but unfortunately, their long years of staying in Siaus and their relatively close ties with Lukas put them under suspicion of working with the Fallens.

So, the united army would never recognize them as candidates for the throne.

As much as this was the Austine Empire’s internal affair, this matter had far-reaching effects on humankind too. The united army couldn’t stay out of it, especially after what had happened with Lukas, and the united army’s influence could not be understated under the current climate.

As for Paul, he was an illegitimate son and had no succession rights. He might have been Charles a thousand years ago, but he had neither Lilian’s influence nor her recognition right now, not to mention that he had no ambitions for the throne.

Thus, the united army chose to recognize Lilian as the Austine Empire’s leader.

Under the rules of the Holy War, if a country’s ruler had no successor, the ruler was not to join the battlefield, as their death would bring about great instability, perhaps even stirring a civil war and affecting frontline efforts.

Lilian could easily use these reasons to step away from the battlefield.

So far, Roel and Lilian had kept quiet about her pregnancy out of worry that it could affect her position in the Austine Empire, especially since Lukas was opposed to their relationship, but that wasn’t an issue now.

Should Carter learn that Lilian was carrying Roel’s child, he would immediately swoop in and drag her away from the battlefield. To Grandpa Carter, it didn’t matter whether they were fighting for the future of humankind or whatnot; his grandchild came first. He would make sure that Lilian rested at the back line even if the world ended tomorrow.

From another perspective, it might also be a wise decision to leave an inheritor of the Kingmaker Bloodline behind.

After thinking things through, Roel looked at Lilian and asked, “Senior, what are your thoughts about the upcoming battle?”

“My thoughts?”

“I’m thinking about having you stay at the back line,” Roel said.

Lilian was startled before her expression turned gentle. She placed her hand on Roel’s cheek, but her reply caught Roel by surprise: “My apologies, but that’s out of the question.”

“Senior, I know that you’re strong, but Nora and the others should be able to make an advancement to Origin Level 1 soon. We should be able to stand our ground, so…”

“No, it’s not because of that,” Lilian replied with a gentle smile. She took Roel’s hand and placed it on her womb as she said, “It was advice from her.”

“Advice? What did she say?”

“She told me to stay with you, so I’ll follow you no matter where you go.”

“…” Roel’s golden eyes flickered in contemplation.

He knew that their future child must have paid a heavy price to offer them such advice. Thus far, her advice had been invaluable in turning the tides, so it was likely the same this time.

They had no idea what would happen, but the advice suggested that Lilian’s presence would bolster Roel’s chances of survival one way or another. For this reason, Lilian was determined to stay with Roel no matter what happened.

“But Senior, your body…”

“Our child hasn’t developed yet, so she won’t hinder me. Besides, this is a battle that determines humankind’s survival. How can I, as one of humankind’s Origin Level 1 transcendents, be absent?” Lilian said with a kingly aura.

Roel suddenly felt nostalgic.

Dignified and strong—this had been his impression of Lilian before they fell in love. Many in the academy looked up to her. She had also saved him on more than one occasion.

Perhaps this is the reason I keep calling her ‘Senior’… Roel thought with a helpless chuckle.

His expression hardened, and he replied with a nod, “I understand. Let’s walk the final path together, Senior.”

“Mmhm.” Lilian pressed her lips together as she slowly leaned against Roel’s shoulder.

…