Above The Sky
Chapter 511 - 511 480 Pioneer and Guardian 33

511: Chapter 480: Pioneer and Guardian (3/3) 511: Chapter 480: Pioneer and Guardian (3/3) ——Not all prayers are answered.

Avrilena Ellen.

The Emperor of the Setal Empire, the beloved illegitimate daughter of Guardian Axel, the current Marchioness Ayrin, sat beside the main table in the hall with her brother’s Heart Light Body, Michael Setar.

Both were silent, the regal and graceful blonde lady dressed in a pale purple silk robe with fluffy white fur trims, leaning slightly on the couch, gazing up at a portrait and an inscription on the opposite side of the hall.

The person in the painting was a young mountain climber, clad in armor and a cloak, leading a group of Knights up the high mountain.

His golden hair was scattering in the wind, a smile on his face as he held a longsword and pointed toward the mountain peak.

This young mountain climber’s armor and longsword were quite plain, but there was a peculiar ‘U’-shaped mark on his forehead that glowed brilliantly like a star, or like a bird striving to spread its wings.

Avrilena was born with such a mark as well, but it quickly faded away, preventing her from becoming a true princess and princess of the Royal Bloodline, which remained one of her many regrets in life despite being her father’s darling.

She stared at the painting, the man depicted in it was Guardian Axel Setar when he was young, leading his team to climb the Karan Mountain Range.

Back then, he had not gained much fame, and his grandfather had not yet died in the insurrection led by his eldest uncle.

Her father’s face often bore a smile at that time, and despite not being taken seriously, he still had his own foundation and like-minded companions.

That was when father often said this phrase.

“Not all prayers are answered.”

“Avrilena, my daughter, I prayed countless times to many great beings before you were born, hoping you would inherit my Bloodline…

Unfortunately, you didn’t.

But that doesn’t mean anything, it does not mean that my love for you is any less than for your brothers and sisters.”

Reflecting on this, the noblewoman shook her head tiredly, saying nothing, but the glowing little bird beside her noticed: “What’s wrong, little sister?

Tired already?”

“Or is it that, upon seeing this object, you’re reminded of our father back in the day?”

“Take my advice, second brother, and don’t really treat me like a little girl.

My son is older than your daughter.”

Glancing sideways at the glowing little bird’s Heart Light Body, Lady Ellen straightened up, her eyes like glittering sapphires dimmed slightly, “Of course, you’re not wrong.

I was just thinking.

What I mean is…

what exactly was our father thinking?”

“What you can’t comprehend,”

The glowing little bird said nonchalantly: “You are not the Empress, how could you understand what an Emperor is thinking?”

“Enough,” the noblewoman shook her head impatiently.

“Here we go again with those excuses—so what should we do?

Nothing?

Hmm?

Any answers, oh wise one who aspires to be Emperor?”

“I just feel I am more suited for the role than my older brother and sister,”

The faintly glowing little bird spoke earnestly: “And I’m not joking, little sister.

Whether it was our father, great uncles, uncles, or aunts, they all tried to understand what Grandfather wanted to accomplish…

and guess what?”

“They all guessed wrong, and they all died,”

“Only our father…

he made no guesses, just steadfastly guarded the Eastern Border, ignoring all invitations and rumors.

That’s why he won,”

“…At least that, I cannot deny.”

Lady Ellen nodded slightly, her self-deprecating smile nearly identical to Yisen Gard’s when he made fun of himself: “We used to laugh at those elders too, wondering why they were so madly trying to guess Grandfather’s intentions.

Grandfather was an Emperor whose greatness was more than a step ahead of his time, someone even the history books, Nobles, Scholars, and even all the people couldn’t understand…

How could they be qualified to speculate his actions?”

“But…

now I understand.

Every decision Grandfather made was intricately linked to them, being of the Royal Family, they had no choice but to speculate…

just like the things father wants to do with us, they’re related to us in the same way.”

The glowing little bird fell silent for a while, then said slowly, “The ignorant always call Grandfather a Tyrant, and the astute Scholars secretly curse us for tarnishing the great Emperor’s reputation…

but they don’t know, it’s precisely because Grandfather was known as a Tyrant, that many of his reforms and laws…

could be inherited,”

“Father always respected Grandfather; Grandfather wanted father to secure the Eastern Border, ready to support the Imperial Capital at a moment’s notice, and he did as instructed, setting off immediately upon receiving the news, but still, it was a step too late.”

“Grandfather had actually anticipated the Dark Moon disturbance would happen, yet he never expected it would be my uncle and grandmother who would take action…

Even someone as wise as grandfather couldn’t foresee it,”

“Ultimately, it can only be said that he was, after all, human and not some sage of legend, sent from the heavens,”

“So, are we like the uncle of those years, or our father?”

Before the Second Prince’s musings, Lady Ellen lowered her gaze.

Her appearance and smile could be called works of art, captured in a single moment by a painter, they could be passed down for centuries.

Yet, at this moment, her expression was bleak, tinged with melancholy: “Then what can we truly hold onto?

To raise Yisen as father instructed, to nurture him into the eternal carapace he desires?

Hm?

Brother, it’s the same for my adorable niece Lydia.”

“We can’t be certain yet that this is what father intends,”

The little glow bird answered calmly, “Remnant Echo, Echo and Mirror, these are the extreme evils that grandfather severely criticized.

Remember that year?

We were all summoned to the Solitary Mountain Tower, where an enraged grandfather ordered Uncle Five to kneel, and the First Knight personally destroyed his Path of Sublimation…

He died a year later.”

“Father is not that foolish, even if he doesn’t know why, he definitely wouldn’t make the same mistake.”

“Even if grandfather is no longer with us, father wouldn’t choose the path that grandfather condemned,”

“That makes it even more dangerous.”

Lady Ellen stared at the scrolls in front of her, “Look, these are all the trends of related experiments in the Imperial Capital since the birth of Yisen in the last fifteen years…

Father has been restarting grandfather’s research in recent years!

It even includes areas that grandfather hardly touched!”

“He’s also become more mysterious, unpredictable, to the extent that…

he ignores government affairs.”

“If he was just after eternal life by seizing the carapace of his offspring, it would be easy to deal with.

The question is, what exactly does father want to do?”

“At the very least, knowing that father has been restarting grandfather’s research all these years is a gain,”

The little glow bird gazed at the writings and illustrations on the scrolls: “Little sister, do you realize how many nobles within the Setar Empire, how many powerful people, would be fear-stricken and unable to sleep at night if this news were made known?”

“How many shocked and wary eyes from other nations would turn towards us?

Recalling the once true ‘Central Empire’?”

“Whether it’s the Black Sun, the Black Tyrant, or Emperor Inaga the Pioneer…

this world cannot accommodate a second one.

The position of Guardian is already the limit,”

Lady Ellen silently gazed at the emperor’s portrait on the wall.

She sighed almost imperceptibly, “Speaking of which…

Ian, he is the descendant of the Cheharlowa Family that discovered Echo, right?

Recently, many families besides ours have taken interest in the boy.

I was wondering why, and then I realized his true identity.”

“Yes,” the Second Prince’s Heart Light Body slowly said, “A very bright child with potential, Barton gave him a perfect score.

He said that if it’s only about being clever and measured, it doesn’t mean much; what’s really impressive is that the boy is considerably adept in Alchemy, Inscriptions, and Sublimation Skills—ordinary people mastering one would already be remarkable, and he has mastered them all.”

“It seems the Cheharlowa Family’s many years of latent foundation have all been invested in this child.

Truly worthy of the once Great Clan of the White Folk, even after being silent for so many years and nesting in the furthest reaches of South Ridge, they still have this strength,”

“Everything originates from them.

And hopefully, it will end with them.”

Lady Ellen glanced at the time, then shook her head slightly: “If there are no surprises, Yisen has already met him.

The children probably want to talk about some private matters, so we shouldn’t expect to see them tonight, we’ll wait for tomorrow.”

“Would you like to meet him with me?”

“Of course,” the little glow bird seemed to sense something and then chuckled softly, “Perhaps you’re not aware, little sister, but just now this young man used a new type of Regeneration Potion to save a victim of a car crash who was nearly declared dead…

His Alchemy is probably just one step away from the master level.”

“Even if you mind, I’d like to meet him,”