ALL NOVEL Chapter 140 – Floor 13: Part 1
Chapter 140 – Floor 13: Part 1
Mathew stood and listened to the shouts of the crowd in front of them. Many of them were screaming in excitement at his achievement, but he spotted a few faces amongst the throng that clearly looked like they wished he had failed and had become a pile of ashes instead of the Crown Prince of Anglia.
The magical sword in his hands glowed his power; his mana had completely driven out any lingering presence of the Lady of the Lake. She would return in time if he relinquished control of the sword to allow another to grasp it. Such as Alfred when the time came.
But for now, it was his.
Burning letters appeared above the blade, and Mathew read them as they hovered in the air.
Item: Excalibur, the Sword of the Kings of Anglia.
Item Description: Pulled from stone, wielding Excalibur is required for one to become Crown Prince and, eventually, King of Anglia. Forged from iron pulled from deep beneath Anglia and infused with magic by the Lady of the Lake, only the worthy may wield this blade.
Item Properties: {Indestructible} {Sharp} {+3 Body, +3 Mind, +Spirit}
Mathew was impressed with the increased stats the item provided. As long as it was linked to him, he would enjoy the benefits, provided he had the sword on his person. If he placed it in his inventory, the enhancements would be lost, albeit temporarily.
Breathing heavily from his efforts against the Lady of the Lake, Mathew slowly lowered his sword as the King stood and shouted.
“Behold, your Crown Prince. Aiden!” He bellowed, and the noise of the crowd surged once more. He could practically feel the ground shake from the amount of voices screaming. Mathew was about to turn to the King and say his required piece of the ceremony, acknowledging his new title and responsibilities, when a loud ‘Ding’ rang out.
Heard only by him, the noise was accompanied by a vibration from his wristband and a new message delivered from the Tower.
Floor 12: A King's Quest {Complete}
Summary: A King has paid a significant price to have you brought to his kingdom to become the Crown Prince of Anglia. You have accomplished that goal. Prepare to depart Floor 12 immediately.
Reward: One 'Rare' class magical Item {Excalibur has been added to your inventory.}
‘What?’ Mathew asked silently in confusion as he felt the Tower begin to ‘tug’ on his body. In the distance, hidden from the eyes of everyone present except for himself, the familiar elevator rose from the ground. The silver doors on its front open, spilling white light onto the ground.
‘That’s it?’ Mathew thought to himself as he looked around the Cathedral. No one noticed that he was about to leave. How would they react when their ‘Crown Prince Aiden’ disappeared with their kingdom’s magical sword, never to return again?
The ‘tug’ immediately ceased, and a strange thing occurred. The message began to scramble; the words melted, replaced by others. It almost looked like something was interfering, forcefully changing the message. The elevator in the distance winked out of existence, and Mathew read the new message in confusion.
Floor 13: A Kingdom Besieged.
Summary: The Kingdom of Anglia has long been under siege by the forces of Demi-Beasts and monsters from the North. As their Crown Prince, it is up to you to lead the forces of Anglia against them and free them from this threat.
Reward: None.
Mathew blinked in confusion at the new message. The font was different than any other notification he had received in the past. Did this message come from a different god, one that had interfered with his progress through the Tower?
He had no one to ask, and it faded away when he finished the message. Was there something happening in the Tower?
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Daphne watched as Prince Aiden stared out over the crowd and lowered the sword in his hands. The wind generated by his mana had stopped, and the skies outside had cleared, finally allowing the sun to shine once more through the shattered, stained glass windows.
To Daphne, it seemed as if the Prince was distracted by something. His eyes wandered to the side of the Cathedral, flicking back and forth quickly before widening slightly in surprise. When it came time for him to reply to the King, to repeat the oath and swear to serve the Kingdom of Anglia, the Prince hesitated before speaking.
“I do solemnly swear to serve and defend the Kingdom of Anglia to the best of my abilities.” Aiden said before sheathing his newly acquired sword at his hip and marching his way out of the Cathedral with the Knights following closely behind.
“Can you believe how handsome he is? He will be in search of a bride. This is our chance, Daphne!” Matilda squealed in delight, and Daphne couldn’t help but roll her eyes as she patiently waited for the crowd to clear so that they could return to their carriage.
The ceremony may have ended, but the day was far from over. The Nobility would be expected at the palace, where a Ball and other festivities would last until tomorrow. The Prince would be in attendance, greeting everyone and mingling.
Daphne had no interest in dancing or mingling. But she wanted to see more of Prince Aiden. As a trained Mage of the University, she could see his potential. There was likely no one more powerful than him in all of Londinium, with the exception of the King and the Grand Archmagi of the University.
While the pair waited, Daphne saw Marten making his way slowly after the Prince. He had been part of the retinue that had escorted Aiden in, so, of course, he would ensure that the Prince made it safely to the palace.
Although, with a monstrous power like Aidens, did he truly need Knights to protect him?
Page Break
Albrecht let out a relieved sigh as soon as he and Margrit were in the privacy of their carriage. Free from courtiers, servants and other prying eyes, it was one of the only chances they had to speak without restrictions before they returned to the palace.
“That went better than expected.” Albrecht said as he thought about the display of power ‘Aiden’ showed at the Grand Cathedral. He had overpowered Excalibur, a feat he knew was nearly impossible for even himself, and he demonstrated to all the major powers of Anglia that he was more than capable of being the Crown Prince.
“He seemed troubled at the end.” Margrit stated. She had noticed the distraction Aiden showed after pulling the sword and how quickly he wanted to be away from the crowd.
“Perhaps his confrontation with the Lady of the Lake went poorly.” Albrecht replied, and Margrit nodded.
“Of that, I have no doubt. Will she make things difficult for Alfred when it comes time for his trial?” Margit inquired.
“She is not one to hold a grudge. Once Aiden demonstrates the necessity of what he had done, in full compliance with the wishes of the gods, she will be amenable.” Albrecht predicted.
Margrit was about to speak when the carriage came to a sudden halt. There were muffled voices outside, muted slightly by the thick walls and enchantments of the carriage. After a slight commotion, there was a knock at the door before it was thrown wide open.
Aiden stood on the street outside, his figure darkened to the King and Queen by the harsh light of the sun. Not hesitating foir a moment, he turned to the driver and ordered him to continue before closing the door and taking a seat across from his ‘parents.’
“We have a problem.”
Aiden filled them in on everything that happened during the ceremony but only briefly touched on his interactions with the Lady of the Lake. He brushed off their inquiries regarding the trials and focused on what happened after.
“You received a new message from the gods?” Albrecht asked with concern. During the ritual, he made it clear that he wanted a champion who could fulfill the role of Crown Prince until Alfred was ready.
If the gods were changing their agreement…
“I’m not sure if it was from them, but it's binding to the Tower. However, it was different from any of the other messages I received. But that shouldn’t be what you need to be worried about. The Demi-Beasts will be gathering to the North, and I will be expected to lead your armies against them.” Aiden revealed as the carriage made its slow journey down the streets of Londinium to the palace.
“Did the missive reveal a timeframe?” Albrecht asked.
“No, just that I will be expected to deal with the threat at some point. Whether that’s tomorrow or a year from now…” Aiden shrugged. Margrit and Albrecht exchanged glances before returning to their ‘son.’
“Then, nothing has significantly changed. Your role as Crown Prince will require you to be part of the army; this just moves the timeline forward a bit. We will get through the next few weeks of the ceremony, and then you will be able to relocate to the Northern garrisons.” Albrecht replied.
“Can’t I just go now?” Aiden asked. Margrit smiled, immediately understanding why the young man was so eager to go to the North.
“No, first you must dance and celebrate. Then, when every young lady of Londinium has danced with you, and you have shaken hands and greeted all the young lords, then you may go.” Margrit replied, and Aiden let out a groan of despair.