Imprisoned for a Trillion Years, I Was Worshipped by All Gods!

At the same time, atop the mountain directly across from Stephen and the white-robed woman, two elderly figures stood with their hands behind their backs, gazing down at the ruins below with complex expressions.

“I must admit, I never expected the Church to get involved in this matter. Daniel, that’s not like you,” said one of them—a noble-looking elder who turned to his companion with a faint, half-smiling expression.

The man addressed—Daniel, the current Archbishop—shot him an annoyed glance. “Heh, and what of it? The conflict between Lioncrest and Sirius has even roused a former king like you out of hiding. Compared to that, the Church’s involvement is practically negligible.”

Emperor Denken chuckled softly.

“Negligible? Ha, what a word. Still, you’re not wrong. The public pressure will always land squarely on the shoulders of the kingdom, never on the Church, isn’t that so?”

Daniel let out a short laugh but soon turned serious. “Have you really thought this through? If Sirius—or more specifically, Alan—fails in this contest over the ruins, or worse, if he dies, the kingdom will face Lioncrest’s unrelenting wrath. Stephen is petty and vengeful. You and I both know that well.”

Denken furrowed his brow and clicked his tongue. “Tsk, tsk, you make a valid point. So… how about a long-overdue alliance between the kingdom and the Church?”

Daniel was visibly stunned. His eyes widened slightly, and his expression grew subtly conflicted.

“An alliance with the Church? There was talk of such a thing years ago… but aren’t you worried now? About the old concerns—ecclesiastical power eclipsing royal authority?”

The emperor sighed. “That’s all in the past. Besides, I’m no longer the one in charge. I just want to help these promising young people. Is that so wrong?”

Seeing that Denken wasn’t joking, Daniel finally nodded. “Very well. With Jacob’s ruins surfacing, many old relics and old monsters alike will be drawn here. Let’s make a deal: we’ll keep the big players at bay. As for the lesser threats… Alan and the others can handle them.”

“Just what I was hoping for.”

Denken nodded again, shifting his gaze back to the ruins.

This time, he had wagered the future of the entire kingdom on Alan.

Though Lioncrest Academy was based in the capital of the Plantagenet Kingdom, its operational structure resembled that of an autonomous region. For years, rumors had circulated among the public, whispering that Lioncrest harbored dissident factions whose loyalty to the kingdom was questionable.

And now, Alan’s actions had forced that long-simmering tension out into the open. The kingdom could no longer sit on the fence.

If it supported Sirius Academy, it would be seen as ungrateful—biting the hand that had fed it. After all, Lioncrest Academy had contributed immensely to the kingdom’s prestige, and its world-renowned educational system had become a significant source of revenue for the capital.

On the other hand, siding with Lioncrest would make the kingdom appear tyrannical and elitist, concerned only with the interests of the powerful while trampling the voices of the weak.

In a world where mages were still the minority, the general population consisted of ordinary, magicless civilians. If the common people began to believe that the kingdom had no regard for them, it would only be a matter of time before the monarchy fell.

After thorough contemplation, Denken had chosen to side with Sirius. Not out of obligation or strategy—but because of Alan.

From the Church’s unusually keen interest in the young man, Denken could infer that Alan was not as simple as he appeared. A mere gifted youth would not merit this level of attention.

There had to be something—or someone—behind Alan, something powerful enough to make even the Church wary.

Denken had already heard detailed reports of the conflict between Alan and the Church in Ironblood City, all relayed to him by the third princess herself. With his wealth of experience, it wasn’t difficult for him to sense that something unusual was at play.

Besides, if Alan survived, the kingdom stood to gain immensely.

First, they would earn his trust. Alan and Denken’s granddaughter had already begun to grow close—if the kingdom aided him now, it would undoubtedly strengthen their bond.

Not to mention, Alan was an extraordinary mage. Even without personal ties, he was someone the kingdom could not afford to lose.

But if he failed—or if the conflict ended in mutual destruction—the kingdom would be the one left to suffer.

Denken knew Stephen well. The man would not forget, nor would he forgive. If he sought vengeance, the kingdom would be his first target.

And the fact that Lioncrest had issued bounties on Alan, even going as far as hiring bounty hunters from the enemy nation Barton Kingdom, spoke volumes.

It was likely that Lioncrest had long made secret pacts with Barton. Should a war erupt, Barton would join in without hesitation.

That would leave the Plantagenet Kingdom besieged from within and without—a scenario that could only end in ruin.

“Ah…”

The emperor sighed again, this time with more helplessness than before. His gaze drifted toward a graceful silhouette in the distance—the third princess, Rosalia.

If it hadn’t been for her urgent intervention—rushing to Kent the moment she learned of the danger—Denken would never have made such a risky gamble.

All of this was simply the instinct of an elder wanting to protect his younger kin.

“That girl… she’s all grown up now, only thinking about that boy… she’s giving this old man a headache…”

———

Meanwhile, within the Kent Kingdom, atop the parliament building’s highest floor, a woman in a gray military uniform stood before a floor-to-ceiling window.

Her expression was ice-cold, and though she hadn’t activated any magic, the glass before her had already frosted over with veins of pure black ice.

“Madam Speaker…”

Behind her, a middle-aged couple spoke respectfully.

“The Jacob ruins have now fully emerged. Explorers are flooding in by the hundreds. Are you certain you want to let them act freely? Shouldn’t we dispatch kingdom troops to enforce order?”

Lizzie slowly turned around, her gaze sharp. She addressed the man among the couple.

“Why should we intervene? Even if every last one of them dies, would it affect Kent Kingdom in the slightest?”

“Well… not exactly. But—”

“But what?”

“Well… the Alan you asked us to track earlier… he’s among the explorers. I thought perhaps… you might want to meet him in person?”

“Meet him?”

Lizzie arched a brow, her impatience rising.

“Even if I gouged out my eyes, I still wouldn’t meet him!”

“Do you know why he came here? His sister was abducted and imprisoned within the ruins. The person who dared do this right in front of him must also possess the strength to kill him.”

“This entire affair is nothing but a cruel cat-and-mouse game. And Alan… he came running to us headlong into danger, without a second thought.”

“That’s not bravery—that’s foolishness. He’s no different from those hotheaded punks in our kingdom who throw punches before they think.”