Sylvester stood in his place in the sky and watched the Shadow Knight vanish from the spot. He wondered what the crescent key he was talking about was. And a tree bluer than the sea; he couldn't remember any species of a tree that was as such.
"Was he talking about the Moon Lake in Beastaria? It is in the shape of a crescent. But it's surrounded by Deca Imperia City, a blue tree would have been too famous if that was the case." Sylvester wondered, talking to himself.
"Maxy, people are looking!" Miraj interjected.
That brought Sylvester's focus back to the task at hand, and he began his descent to Fort Sunflower. He aimed to land on the terrace of the fort itself and reach Kaecilius directly. Having been in the building before, he knew about the various pathways.
Thud!
He didn't hide his presence, but there were no guards on the main terrace, as access was fully restricted. Only a few villagers outside the fortress city had caught a glimpse of him, while those inside remained unaware.
"Chonky, I might try to give Kaecilius some more weapons, so be ready," Sylvester instructed his partner in crime, forcefully opening the gates leading downstairs.
"May the Holy Light enlighten us!" Sylvester greeted a guard passing by.
"Ah, may the… WAIT! Who are you?" The guard realized Sylvester had come from upstairs, and his armor was something he had never seen before, nor had he ever seen the man before.
Sylvester smiled and created a halo behind his head. "Must I say my name for you to recognize me, my brother in faith? I came here in the name of the Lord to meet your Viscount."
The guard's jaw dropped, and he stumbled backward but managed to keep his footing. "Y-You… You're the… IMPOSTER!"
"..."
Sylvester's face fell. "My head is shining with a halo. How does that make me an imposter?"
"You imposter! Do you think you can fool us?! We have Lord Bard living on our lands for days! Lay down your weapon!" The guard commanded, brandishing his spear toward Sylvester's head.
'What? Someone's going around pretending to be me?' Sylvester rubbed his smooth chin in amusement.
"What does he look like, this true Lord Bard?" Sylvester asked the man.
The guard scoffed, "You can never match his majesty! Tall and mighty, his short golden beard and hair—his beautiful shining trident and that mesmerizing halo!"
'Beard? Is this a personal attack?' Sylvester clenched his fist, cursing his elven lineage for the lack of facial hair.
"Bring me to your Viscount to seek justice. I am the real Sylvester Maximilian, the Bard of the Lord. If that man says he is me, then he must prove it with his knowledge. He should know all the hymns I have ever sung, shouldn't he?" Sylvester argued and grabbed the guard by the back of his armor and lifted him effortlessly before walking toward the Viscount's court.
"L-Let me go… You will regret this! Lord Bard will be here today! He will burn you to ashes!"
"We'll see whose fire will burn whom," Sylvester remarked and finally arrived at the main floor of the castle and made his way toward the grand hall.
Although Sylvester was annoyed, Miraj sure was having the time of his life, bursting into laughter or attempting to suppress his giggles.
Bam!
Sylvester kicked the door of the court open, ignoring the guards, and walked in. "I heard the real Lord Bard will be arriving here today!"
The Viscount's court lacked the grandeur of a royal court, yet it still exudes opulence. The hall was made of white marble, high ceilings, and intricate engravings adorning the walls, and the golden silky curtains rather than green ones marked the color of the Viscount's allegiance—the faith.
There were a few dozen men and women present, and they looked toward Sylvester once he burst in and threw aside the guard he held. Some frowned, while others observed with interest, but Kaecilius sitting on the Lord's seat at the end of the hall, appeared more than delighted.
"Your Holiness!" Kaecilius exclaimed, jumping off his seat. "You're back!"
Kaeculius looked almost the same as before and perhaps in an even better shape. Being a lord, he was able to focus on his well-being, giving his body the proper nutrients to grow in strength as well as his rank. His black hair was now longer, and the stubble beard was now full and covered his face. The sad look with the scars was gone, replaced with a cheerful and hopeful demeanor.
"You're doing well, Kaecilius," Sylvester exclaimed, allowing the man to approach and receive a bear hug.
"Everything is because of you, Your Holiness. Even after your departure, you provided us with the instructions to thrive and prepare for this moment. Sir Dolorem briefed me on the details when I hosted him and Mother Xavia a few days ago." Kaecilius said, beaming with pride for standing by Sylvester so faithfully.
"How is your family?" Sylvester asked.
"Perfectly healthy, Your Holiness. My daughter has grown well and is currently preparing to succeed me. Meanwhile, my wife and I were blessed with twin sons—by the grace of Solis." Kaecilius revealed with excitement.
Who would have thought a former slave turned noble would go so far? And now, the time had come to go beyond any slave in history had gone—it was time to become a King.
"The time has come, Kaecilius. Riveria has decided to stand with the demons of the Holy Lan—"
BAM!
The doors of the hall swung open once again, and the herald announced aloud. "Hear, hear! Sylvester Maximilian, Bard of the Lord, the Son of Solis, has arrived!"
The herald began to sweat immediately and looked at Sylvester helplessly, as if saying he was just doing his job. 'Please forgive me.'
Thud!
"Ho ho hooo…!"
Amusedly, Sylvester observed as a new figure entered the hall. But almost instantly, he felt his jaw falling to the floor and his eyes popping out. Meanwhile, perched on his shoulder, Miraj mewed in laughter, not caring if anyone would hear anymore—for the scene was just too damn funny.
"Y-You're Lord Bard?" Kaecilius fumed and roaringly questioned, pointing his finger at the new man.
"Ha, indeed I am, Viscount of Fort Sunflower. I come to shower these lands with my warm light, blessed by the very essence of Solis—With me. The sunflowers shall bloom again and thrive, as do the people. But the ritual won't be easy—hardships of body, mind, and wealth you shall face." Said 'the bard' with a big smile on his giant chubby face and a goatee beard.
"Mewahahaha…!" Miraj boomed with laughter.
Kaecilius looked around. "Where is this cat crying from? Soldiers, find it! And you, heretic!"
"Me?!" The 'bard' turned angry and pointed his trident at Kaecilius. "You dare call the Son of Solis a heretic! Now watch my blazing halo! In my wrath, your entire Viscounty I shall swallow!"
"That's not even a trident! You're using lit candles as blades. And why are you half naked?! Nobody wishes to see your bloated swine-like body!" Kaecilius shouted back. "Soldiers! Throw this heathen into the dungeon!"
Sylvester amusedly watched the spectacle unfold. 'What in God's name is this? How did people even fall for him? He looks nothing like me.'
Indeed, the so-called 'true' Bard was a seven-foot-tall man with fatness that would put elephants to shame. To pour salt on the wound, the man wore strange clothes, keeping most of the body above his belly naked, which meant his fat breast-like chest was exposed, along with his hairy torso. Furthermore, the halo behind the man's head was clearly artificial, made from a few light crystals.
[A/N: See the fake Sylvester here.]
Sylvester walked closer toward the man. "Hmm… What's your real name?"
"I am Sylvester Maximilian, son of the holiest Mother Xavi—"
BOOM!
Sylvester abruptly vanished from his place and appeared right next to the man. With a powerful blow, his fist connected with the fake Bard's plump face, shattering his nose completely, causing it to collapse, crushed into small pieces.
"I was in the mood for joking until you took my mother's name." Sylvester softly spoke, but the seriousness in his words was terrifying. "Now, I won't ask again—who are you? And where did you get the contraption to make the halo?"
"I…I can't breathe!" The fake Bard cried, his nose destroyed.
Sylvester raised his hand and snapped his finger. Out of nowhere, a dozen meter-long swords made of solidified light appeared in the air, all aimed at the fake Bard's head.
"If you don't speak, you shall lose far more than your nose. Who sent you? How many more of you are there?" Sylvester interrogated him. His questions made everyone else realize there was more to it than just a simple scam.
The fake Bard looked at Sylvester's face. He noticed the golden hair and the golden eyes. That was enough to tell him who he was against. The height matched, the aura matched, and the might also matched—it was the real deal.
"I…I was given money and the halo ring!" The man cried. "I-I am just a poor man… Richie is my name… the Cardinal Suprima of River City recruited one hundred of us to travel and ruin your name. We're paid monthly… one gold a month! I only did it to feed my family… please forgive me…"
Sylvester shook his head with a sigh. "Feeding your family? Looking at your size, it seems far from the truth."
"It's just my Ma…" the man replied. "She lives in River City's slums."
Sylvester knelt down and placed his palm on Richie's face, healing him only until he was able to breathe, but the nose remained broken. "So they've begun to spread their propaganda to defame my name this way? Exploiting the desperate…"
"I'll send a garrison of soldiers to hunt these imposters down." Kaecilius quickly proposed. "The poor are the first to fall to these imposters. We know where to find them."
Sylvester shook his head and walked up to Kaecilius, placing his hand on the man's shoulder. "No need… Prepare your entire army. The time has come for you to take the throne that was promised to you."
"But… Rivieria still has four Grand Wizards. We have none," Kaecilius said in a worried tone. "I will not question your command to battle, Your Holiness. But I fear the fate of these people if I were to fail. Will they be forced into slavery again?"
"A mere four or five Grand Wizards are no challenge to me now, Kaecilius," Sylvester revealed, his grip on Kaecilius' shoulder firm. "Moreover, not all of Rivieria's Grand Wizards are from the Rivieria family. Some of them serve the Kingdom solely for a life of luxury—we only need to make them realize their misunderstandings."
Sylvester then looked around at the entire court. All the men and women standing there were slaves at one point. It filled his heart with great satisfaction to see his actions had brought such a profound change to so many lives.
♫Once we win, there shall be a new holy sunrise.
Everyone shall be equal in all rights, in faith's eyes.
We shall be reborn, respecting the fallen's bravery.
No more shall exist the unholy sin of slavery.♫
Sylvester's halo radiated a brilliant glow within the court, and the warmth touched the hearts of many. Who, if not the former slaves, would understand the meaning behind his words?
"Amen!"
"Amen!"
"May the Holy Light enlighten us!"
"Long live His Holiness!"
At last, Sylvester raised his hand to cheer them on.
"Tomorrow! Riveria falls!"
Thank you for reading. GT votes are much appreciated.
