[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens":3,"chapter-heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-161":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Heir to the Kingdom of 1.4 Billion Citizens",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2271036,4434,"Chapter 161: Tameralan, Do You Want to Be King?","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-161",161,"\u003Cp>At the peak of Mount Taiyang, a magnificent cathedral stands silently atop the mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its golden spire pierces the clouds, as if the finger of a god touches the mortal world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the first ray of morning light falls upon it, the entire cathedral ignites as if set ablaze by the sun’s fire—glazed tiles and gold flow in the dawn glow, dyeing all around in sacred amber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is a structure beyond description, as if it gathered every beauty of the world, causing every witness to feel a profound spiritual tremor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to it, the Starry Estate, built by the Piercing Duke at great cost over ten years, is like equating ordinary stones found on the ground with jade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason is simple: this Dawn Cathedral has been painstakingly repaired over the past millennium by countless devout Sun worshippers using the finest techniques of each age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each brick may be the condensed life of a believer; each exquisite fresco might be the result of master painters from different eras clashing across time with their greatest skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, how could oppressed slaves possibly devote more care than devoted believers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past thousand years, some dared to question why the Church poured such immense effort into building a cathedral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that energy were directed elsewhere, the Sun Church might have doubled in size.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time, the Pope answered thus:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The gods dwell above the stars; without a palace awe-inspiring enough, how can mortals believe in the greatness of the gods and their own insignificance?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he added:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, the gods may not care—but we must.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thousand years later, Tameralan stepped into the cathedral beneath the morning light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the holy site of the Sun Church, the Dawn Cathedral’s entrance was lined with Holy Knights clad in armor bearing the Sun emblem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each possessed at least Morning Star rank; Crescent Star Holy Knights were not uncommon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Superiors who could command respect anywhere on the continent here performed only the humble duty of guarding the gate—yet for Sun worshippers, this was unquestionably a honor worthy of proud chest-thumping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Tameralan approached the gate, all the Holy Knights bowed in unison, deep and synchronized, showing their reverence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard to imagine a young man so young earning such respect from Holy Knights—each of whom was battle-hardened and iron-willed—but if that young man’s name was Tameralan, then everything became logical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tameralan Rhine, grandson of the current Pope, awakened his Crescent Star rank at just one hundred days old, blessed by King Rhine VIII and other great figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was only the beginning of his glory: at age three, he awakened the gift of discerning truth from lies, helping the Inquisition solve many long-stagnant cases while still a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At six, he became a squire; at seven, he became a superior; at twelve, a Morning Star; at eighteen, he ascended to Crescent Star and, during his coming-of-age ceremony, was personally granted the title of Holy Knight by his grandfather—the current Pope—and in full view of all, his rank surged to Half-Moon, drawing thunderous applause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond his power, Tameralan’s character earned universal praise—everyone called him a born Holy Knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At twenty, he ascended to Half-Moon rank, achieving dual blessings of Ice Blue—a terrifying advancement speed unmatched even by the greatest heroes of the Divine Age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the name Tameralan Rhine spread throughout the entire Rhine Kingdom, even reaching the ears of nobles in neighboring lands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, when a mad villain committed atrocities repeatedly in the Coronet City, it was Tameralan who chased him across a thousand miles, fighting day and night until he finally severed the villain’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people reverently called him “Child of the Sun”—a child beloved by the Sun God.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone felt this title, though impious, fit Tameralan perfectly; for if not blessed by the gods, how could anyone be born so perfect, so radiant, so humbling?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My fellow knights, you’ve worked hard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tameralan smiled brightly, nodded slightly in return, then strode confidently into the Dawn Cathedral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike its pure white exterior, the cathedral’s interior was dominated by black tones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The painted dome overhead, nearly a hundred meters high, depicted the scene of Genesis; gazing upward too long induced dizziness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap. Tap. Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the interior was so vast and empty, Tameralan could clearly hear the echo of his own footsteps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tameralan!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A familiar voice came from behind; before turning, he spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Long time no see, Tristan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tameralan turned to face a Holy Knight with long red hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His red hair glowed like molten copper, shimmering metallically in the sunlight; strands fell across his forehead like embers still warm in a furnace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His brow was high and sharp, yet his amber eyes held a touch of softness; his nose was straight, his lips thin as paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint, old scar slanted across his left cheek—not diminishing his beauty, but adding a touch of martial vigor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard you went to the capital to hunt the villain. It seems you succeeded?” Tameralan smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tristan, aged twenty-six, Crescent Star rank, was also a Hundred-Commander of Holy Knights, a recognized genius—but his frivolous speech and behavior earned him poor reputation in the Church.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet to Tameralan, he was truly one of his few friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It went well enough—the villain gained protection from a noble in the capital by swearing fealty, hiding in his estate and denying everything. In the end, I merely brandished my sword before his son, and he confessed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tristan stretched lazily, speaking carelessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Er… what title did that noble hold?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something like a Marquis, I think.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tameralan: “...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden-haired youth’s lip twitched; he finally understood why his friend had such a terrible reputation in the Church—even some had proposed removing him from his Hundred-Commander post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Threatening a Marquis’s son with a sword—and intimidating a Marquis himself—would have landed him on the Rhine Kingdom’s most wanted list long ago, had it not been for the Sun Church’s protection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, Tameralan, while I was in the capital, I overheard something major.” Tristan glanced around, confirmed no one was near, then whispered mysteriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? What’s that?” Tameralan’s blue eyes flickered with curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gossip was human nature—even he was not immune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red-haired knight gripped Tameralan’s shoulder and pulled him close, whispering low:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The lost infant princess of the royal family… she’s still alive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the usually calm Holy Knight’s face betrayed deep shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For unknown reasons, the children of the Rhine royal family had been dying one after another, as if cursed—every single one perished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even royal blessings offered no protection; many did not survive past their infant honor ceremony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The infant princess referred to the newborn daughter born roughly seventeen years ago, shortly after whom the palace was attacked by unknown assassins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In desperation, the queen used a rare item capable of random spatial teleportation to send away the infant princess—still under one hundred days old—and faced the assassins alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the assassins were later slain by arriving knights and the queen remained unharmed, King Rhine VIII exhausted vast resources scouring the entire kingdom—but found not a single trace of the infant princess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, they could only despairingly declare her dead; for an infant randomly teleported across the world, survival was impossibly slim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is the information reliable?” Tameralan asked immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If true, the implications were enormous!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most crucially, if this infant princess could be found, the Rhine royal line—now without an heir—would have a new successor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recall: the Rhine Kingdom’s greatest military force—the hundred-meter-long crimson dragon “Infernal Sin” Ignio—responds only to those with high Rhine bloodline concentration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many feared that after the current king and queen passed, no one would be able to command Ignio, who might then flee the kingdom and become a wild dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should such a terrifying outcome occur, the long-standing balance among the three kingdoms would shatter instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nobles of the other two kingdoms, while loudly proclaiming honor and chivalry, would feverishly follow a king who rode a true dragon overhead, greedily devouring Rhine Kingdom’s land, people, and gold like wolves feasting on sheep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A noble who does not seek promotion is no good noble; a war with guaranteed victory, especially one involving a dragon, promises new blessings and glory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is an opportunity to change a family’s entire fate, to etch one’s name into the family genealogy—any rational noble would never miss it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet if the surviving infant princess could be found and recognized by Ignio, it would avert this catastrophic war threatening all of humanity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why Tameralan reacted with such urgency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Absolutely reliable—the royal family found a Gold-rank divination compass, which confirmed the infant princess is alive and located her position in the East.” Tristan whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gold-rank compass?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tameralan’s expression grew grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A divination compass was an extremely rare treasure, capable of revealing the location of any sought object.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its creator remains unknown; its crafting method lost to time; only a few surviving relics remain from the Divine Age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Divination compasses come in three ranks: Bronze, Silver, and Gold—the higher the rank, the lower the error rate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Gold-rank divination compass achieves near-zero error—meaning the infant princess’s survival is undeniably true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The royal family has dispatched the Hand of the Kingdom, carrying the Gold Compass, to the East to find the infant princess. This information is under strict secrecy—only the royal family’s most loyal confidants know. I overheard it accidentally while hiding in the Marquis’s study, gathering intelligence on the villain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tristan explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you reported this to the Cardinalate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tameralan temporarily ignored his friend’s abhorrent act of eavesdropping and asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Cardinalate was the Church’s highest decision-making body, answerable only to the Pope, overseeing all Church affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I reported it the moment I returned yesterday. The cardinals held a full-day meeting, and then I just received a thousand merit points as a reward—I’ve never thought those annoying old men could be so kind!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Tristan’s face glowed with excitement; he barely managed to clamp his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing aloud in the solemn hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merit points could be exchanged for treasures in the Blazing Sun Vault; a Holy Knight without rank, serving faithfully his entire life without opportunity, might accumulate only a hundred points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tristan had gained a thousand points merely by overhearing one piece of news—equivalent to what a normal Holy Knight would earn in ten lifetimes—no wonder he was so elated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Congratulations, Tristan. I truly appreciate you sharing this precious information—but please, never eavesdrop again.” Tameralan sincerely advised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a friend, he felt obligated to guide Tristan onto the right path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry, this was an accident—I won’t do it again.” Tristan dismissed it carelessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He believed his noble character meant he’d never eavesdrop unless driven by the pursuit of justice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There would be no next time!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, Tameralan, does this news disappoint you at all?” Tristan’s eyes darted, nearly pressing his lips to Tameralan’s ear as he whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why would I be disappointed?” Tameralan blinked in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Think about it—if the infant princess were dead, you, with your Rhine bloodline, would become a legitimate heir. After the royal family passes, with your grandfather and your godfather’s support, the Sun Church could fully back you to ascend the throne—you’d become the new King of the Rhine Kingdom.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From now on, Rhine shall be a theocracy, and thanks to you, we Holy Knights can now possess lands and noble blessings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tristan chattered on endlessly, completely unaware that his friend’s expression had grown increasingly grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How about it? If you have any ideas, considering you’re my friend, I can sneak off to the East right now and abduct the young princess before the Kingdom’s Hand finds her, ensuring she never sets foot on Rhine’s soil.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the red-haired knight finished speaking, he saw a finger growing larger in his field of vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tameralan’s fingertip lightly flicked the red-haired knight’s forehead, yet the sound echoed like a snapped bowstring, and a sudden gale surged forth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, Tristan had no time to cry out—he flew backward like a kite with its string cut, slamming hard against the church wall behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tristan, that’s enough joking. I don’t want to hear another one of your dull jokes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tameralan spoke calmly, his once gentle blue eyes now sharply cold, his brow seemingly frosted with ice, instilling instinctive dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s angry?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tameralan is actually angry!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, sorry, I was wrong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slumped on the floor, his forehead marked with a crimson fingerprint—as if branded by a hot iron—Tristan instantly surrendered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His whole body ached, yet he could sense no actual injury, as if perfectly balanced on the threshold between pain and harm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Tameralan said nothing more, simply turned and walked away, leaving the red-haired knight behind, still trembling with unease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, a message appeared in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gift of Control: You can perfectly master every ounce of your power—able to cradle a frail infant or snap steel, lift boulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2168,"2026-06-19T22:18:43.340Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","2d92bcec7f0043df44496159be146571634c8885f2f8ea602e9277114ede00c2","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-162","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-160",186,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fheir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-cover.jpg"]