Chapter 325: I Am Britannias!

Mentioning Jeanne, Lord Tai Zuo Luo's gaze instantly turned cold; he extended a hand toward Dai Si, who immediately understood and drew a gold coin from his robe.

Without further action, the gold coin instantly twisted and deformed, flowing like liquid as it gathered in Lord Tai Zuo Luo's palm.

"I fell for that woman's trick due to carelessness before; the same situation will not happen a second time!"

Lord Tai Zuo Luo gave a cold smile, then turned to look at A Jin:

"If you trust me, swallow this."

"This is..."

A Jin's eyes narrowed slightly.

Seeing this, Lord Tai Zuo Luo explained:

"This is my ability."

"As long as gold exists within your body, I can instantly restrict your movements."

"Afterward, should any problem arise, I can bind you immediately or launch a counterattack using the gold inside you."

"In this way, even if you are controlled by Jeanne, you won't be taken away by that woman again."

"Of course."

"This also means that your life and death are, to some extent, under my control."

"I have informed you of the risks in advance; the choice lies with..."

Before Lord Tai Zuo Luo could finish speaking,

A Jin grabbed the fluid gold, swallowed it in one gulp, his gaze showing not a trace of hesitation:

"Without you, I could never have escaped."

"I trust you."

Crackle—!

The flames burned ever more fiercely; dry branches split open, emitting crisp sounds.

The scorching light fell upon Lord Tai Zuo Luo's face, also revealing the smile he could no longer suppress at the corner of his mouth.

Since Stella's death, he had once again felt that sensation called trust.

Lord Tai Zuo Luo's throat bobbed, his emotions tangled, yet all that finally escaped his lips was a single simple word:

"Good."

A Jin nodded to him, then immediately turned again to face Dai Si, unable to resist making an offer:

"Are you really not considering switching to serve under me?"

"Believe me, you possess talents beyond the reach of ordinary people; only on our ship can such talents be fully realized!"

Just as Dai Si was about to speak, Lord Tai Zuo Luo beside him couldn't help but interrupt:

"Stealing my subordinate right in front of me is, to some extent, rather impolite~"

"Hahahahaha~"

A Jin threw back his head, leaning against the rock wall behind him, laughing loudly.

Seeing this, Lord Tai Zuo Luo's lips likewise curved into a slight smile, though it carried more than a hint of helplessness.

At the same time,

he grew increasingly curious about the captain A Jin had spoken of, the one for whom he would willingly give his life.

A cold wind blew into the cave, yet it could not dispel the warmth surrounding the three of them.

The next day.

Early morning.

Center of Britannias.

An endless jungle clustered around the giant city at its heart.

Pure white towers soared into the clouds, while countless believers clad in cultivator robes prayed everywhere.

Low chants drifted over the giant city.

This place was once the Wang Cheng of Britannias, and is now the holy city of the Tianjue Church; its name is Avalon.

The Eagle Knight Bevil, expressionless, walked step by step along the main thoroughfare running north to south, entering the center of the holy city.

Clack!

Clack!

Clack!

The crisp sound of footsteps drew countless gazes; some were respectful, some disdainful, but most were filled with fear.

As one who had once served Arthur and also the one who ended Arthur,

Bevil's martial prowess had gained the recognition of everyone in Britannias; whether it was the former Arthur or the current Bevil, all held him in the highest esteem.

The footsteps faded into the distance.

Standing atop the city tower, Jeanne leaned against the window, watching this scene with keen interest.

"Returned empty-handed, did they?!"

"Those two possess considerable strength; in the outside world, they would rank as Great Pirates, their bounties approaching ten digits." "Yet merely with such capability, they managed to escape your grasp..."

"Was it unwillingness, or simply luck?!"

While pondering this,

two women dressed in cultivator robes pushed open the door, entered, and bowed respectfully to Jeanne:

"Lady Jeanne, His Holiness the Pope has been waiting for you for quite some time."

"I understand."

Joan nodded, her expression instantly turning solemn.

She turned and followed the two, quickly entering the central palace within the castle.

A gaunt old man clad in black cultivator robes sat enthroned at the castle's head, looking down upon Bevil, who knelt below.

The old man's appearance was utterly ordinary; seated there, he seemed like nothing more than a common elder, his brows and eyes even bearing a trace of indescribable kindness.

Yet that sliver of kindness was utterly shattered by a grotesque wound stretching from his brow down to his neck, nearly splitting him in two.

Furthermore, three pairs of pure white feathered wings unfurled from behind the old man, almost exactly matching the statue standing in the great hall.

He was none other than Wales, ruler of Britannias and Pope of the Heaven's Awareness Church.

Wales paid Joan no heed, his gaze fixed on Bevil as he couldn't help but sigh:

"Bevil, this is not the conduct expected of you."

Bevil lowered his head in silence, then opened his mouth to explain:

"The opponent came prepared."

"And what I failed to anticipate was that he could even manipulate the gold upon his own body; caught off guard, I fell for his trick."

"Is that so..."

Wales responded with a murmur, a touch more softness entering his eyes; he glanced at Bevil, then lifted his gaze toward the distance.

The palace gates stood wide open.

From Wales's position, one could see the main thoroughfare piercing through the entire giant city of Avalon.

Countless commoners and priests came and went, smiles upon their faces, presenting a scene of perfect harmony and tranquility.

He watched for a long while before withdrawing his gaze and speaking to Bevil:

"I know there is resentment in your heart."

"But I also know that what you seek to protect is not me, nor the Wang Zu of Britannias, but rather this land and the people living upon it."

As he spoke, Wales slowly rose to his feet.

Sunlight streamed in from behind him; his six wings cast a massive shadow that enveloped Bevil and, passing through the distant gates, fell upon the ground below the castle.

"Then you should know: I am Britannias, I am the people of Britannias!"

"I exist only within Britannias!"

Bevil's half-crouched body trembled slightly, his fingers gripping the knight's sword turning white from the pressure.

Still maintaining his half-crouched posture, the corner of his eye fell upon the two nuns standing beside Joan.

He saw piety, he saw faith, he saw boundless reverence for Wales, as if gazing upon a deity descended into the mortal world.

But beyond that, there was nothing else.

Bevil gritted his teeth:

"I understand, my lord Wales."

"I do not wish to see such a mistake a second time."

Wales slowly sat back down, his demeanor calming as he commanded:

"Go."

"Bring the Bone's power before me!"

"Yes!"

Bevil nodded, then rose and walked toward the city outskirts.

No further words were needed.

A massive falcon was already waiting outside the castle.

At the same time.

Ah Jin and the others had already emerged from the dense forest, arriving within a small town.

Yet gazing upon the scene before them left both of them silent.

"Could there really... be such a thing?!"

(End of Chapter)