Chapter 77: We are Friends
At that very moment, the System somehow managed to act.
With absolute smoothness and fluidity, the "System" slipped from its center in the depths of Cain’s soul, piercing through the void like a phantom-like mist, to secretly transfer into the body of Amelia, who stood before him.
Amelia, despite her formidable insight, was entirely unable to notice that an unknown system had just breached the fortresses of her soul and nestled in its deepest corners. Perhaps if she had focused with her entire spiritual strength, she might have noticed an odd existential weight pressing upon her chest, but in the end, she was trapped in the body of a little girl who had not yet reached the [1-Star Level]—not to mention that she had absolutely no concept of what "systems" even were in this world.
After Cain gazed at his daughter for a moment and exhaled a heavy, worry-laden sigh, he turned calmly toward the crowd that had been speaking to him moments before, saying with a serene expression:
"Pardon me, everyone... It seems I have just remembered some minor, urgent errands that require my immediate attention. I shall return to you shortly to continue our conversation."
In the blink of an eye, Cain vanished from his spot. His body dissolved completely, his trace fading into the thin air as though no one had ever been standing in that place to begin with.
Those present were stunned and took several steps back, rubbing their eyes in disbelief at this miraculously swift disappearance.
One noble muttered in awe, "I knew this master magician was powerful and extraordinary, but I never expected him to possess such instantaneous speed... Establishing a friendship with him was definitely the best decision I’ve made in my life!"
An old man standing beside him sneered, "Bah! You fool, what would make a great and terrifying mage like him accept the friendship of an ordinary person like you? He is undoubtedly one of those mages of the [3-Stars] rank!"
Amelia, standing a short distance away, listened to the words of these commoners and could not help but mock their utter ignorance in her mind, recalling an ancient proverb she once believed in: ’It is better to give a wooden branch to a master swordsman than to hand a mythical dragon to an ignoramus!’ They did not even comprehend the limits of the powers they spoke of.
But she did not want to waste time on their trivialities.
By all means, she absolutely did not want her father, Cain, to discover the truth—that she was a resurrected Empress inside his daughter’s body. She feared that if he learned the truth, he would think her a malevolent, demonic spirit who had possessed his little girl’s vessel and extinguished his true child’s soul.
Thus, she decided to seize his temporary absence to go and interrogate this scoundrel, Roger, who lay fallen over there, to find out what had transpired with him. All the indicators surrounding him so far lacked logic. This was not out of concern for his safety—for he was, in the end, merely a traitor whose life meant nothing to her—but whenever her mind tried to find a justification for what she saw, it slammed into a dead end.
Doubt assailed her for a moment, and she paused: ’Does drawing near to him mean I am simply handing myself over? What if this entire scene is nothing but a cleverly laid ambush designed to lure me away from the eyes of the crowd and the passersby, only to eliminate me?’
For a moment, she felt as if she were leading herself to her own doom. Yet, her hand instinctively reached out to touch the jade pendant hanging around her neck, which her father Cain had gifted her, inscribed with the warm words: {To my beloved daughter...}.
This pendant was an legendary defensive artifact of the [Imperial Level].
An absolute veil of protection that Roger could never pierce unless he was at the [Celestial Level]—which was utterly impossible for someone who had been at the "Noble Level" just hours ago.
Courage flooded back into her small heart, and she decided to step out from the crowd of children, heading with confident strides toward Roger, who lay face down, unconscious.
However, as she advanced... she felt small, rhythmic footsteps trailing behind her.
She turned to find the very same young boy, who had been trying to give her the ice cream moments ago, stubbornly pursuing her.
She knit her brows and said with childish sharpness, "What are you doing behind me? Go back this instant!"
Yet the young boy, persistent by nature, looked at her with a resolute gaze full of childish determination and chivalry, saying:
"My Lady... I was not able to offer my ice cream to you as a gift, so I must offer you another service as compensation. As a gentleman, I believe that even if the Lady does not need anything now, she will definitely need help later!"
Amelia placed her small palm on her forehead in sheer helplessness, trying to dismiss this persistent boy from her path: "I do not need anything now, nor in a bit, nor even later! You may leave and return to your parents immediately."
The young boy blinked innocently, the spark in his eyes shattering as he looked at the ground with a heart-wrenching sadness:
"I... I do not have parents, my Lady... I ran away today from my uncle and his wife’s house just to make some friends outside, instead of staying there and being constantly beaten... Honestly, I just wanted to be friends with the young miss, because I do not have any friends in this wide world..."
Amelia felt a lump in her throat and a slight shock; how miserable and lonely this little boy seemed!
She thought to herself that if she turned him away and treated him harshly now, his mental state would surely worsen, and he would return to the hell of his uncle and aunt’s home to face ruthless rebukes and beatings. Her imagination could not bear the thought of leaving him to such a fate. She sighed deeply, feeling a twinge of guilt; by doing this, she might drag an innocent child who had nothing to do with these conflicts into a deadly situation if Roger decided to betray her and attack suddenly. She would not allow this child to be harmed because of her.
"I am sorry... You must return now for your own safety. But we... well, we are definitely friends from now on! Just step back a little and wait for me there, and I will surely return to you so we can play together as close friends."
In an instant, a wide smile stretched across the boy’s lips, and that bright spark returned to gleam in his eyes with joy:
"Alright! I will wait here... But what should we name our special group?"
Amelia wondered, blinking in surprise, "Group?"
"Yes, miss! All close friends form a secret and special group of their own... I saw this at school and wanted so badly to experience being a member of a group!"
Amelia smiled a warm, slightly sly smile. His behavior was childish and naive, yet understandable and born of deep deprivation. She truly wanted to make this child feel distinguished and valued, so she said to him in a majestic, royal tone laced with playfulness:
"Certainly... and we shall not be just any ordinary group, my friend... rather, we shall be a grand organization! We shall be ’The Celestials’... a colossal and terrifying organization that will rule the entire world one day! And from this moment on, I shall grant you a majestic title that will shake the earth... You shall be ’The First Celestial King’! ...Right, what was your name?"
The young boy cheered proudly, puffing out his chest, "My name is Albert!"
"Then... from this moment forth, you are [The Celestial King Albert]!"
While Amelia was joking with the innocent boy using grand words, planting in his soul the seeds of an organization that would upend the balance of power in the future...
There was a body lying on the nearby ground... the exhausted body of Roger, who was fighting off sleep and a coma with every ounce of strength he possessed...