Chapter 1 A Peaceful Kingdom

While the battles outside the borders grew more brutal by the day, and the chaotic onslaught endlessly battered against the bulwark of order, the kingdom's interior remained peaceful and serene. White City stood as a radiant jewel set upon the great plains. When the sun, "Ulo," cast its glow upon the land, the entire city shimmered with light. People awoke with the morning light, emerging onto the white-stoned avenues, exchanging greetings as they prepared for the day's work. Thus, the city resembled a machine slowly starting to turn, its lazy hum gradually increasing as it spun into motion.

The doors of the Golden Rose Palace creaked open, accompanied by the grinding of gears. Knights in bright armor and messengers bearing orders from the king and other high-ranking officials raced out of the palace gates. Some galloped towards the residences of dukes and earls, others towards the enigmatic towers of the Royal Sorcerers' Association, and still others towards the halls of scholars and mages. The information they carried would keep many busy for a long time to come. The previous night's banquet seemed to have only strengthened the ancient kingdom's governing machine, infusing it with even greater vigor. Now, the king had received the latest intelligence from the chaotic frontier, scholars were trying to understand the cause of the mutations in the furnace device, master occultists were rummaging through mountains of files, seeking to find the next sign of the chaotic tide's shift, and generals and soldiers were also busy. After Princess Veronica's personal plea, the voices in the court questioning General Magus's poor defense of the border vanished as if the courtiers had suddenly remembered that it was more important to help the old general defend their own homes than to hold him accountable.

The news of the "Ancient Guardian" also spread with the messengers' movements. It first reached the homes of the great nobles, then branched out in two directions: one part was passed down to the lesser nobles by knights of lower rank, and the other part was more widely spread among the ladies during their tea-time gossip. Maids heard the news and told the cooks, the cooks told the grooms, and the grooms used the news as bragging material in taverns. Soon, it seemed that everyone in the city had become a witness to the "Guardian's reappearance." With tacit consent, the news spread at an astonishing rate. Nobles and officials of all ranks received detailed and accurate reports, while the common people circulated seven or eight exaggerated versions, with some even claiming that the Creator Goddess had decided to personally descend upon the Taros Kingdom, and the Ancient Guardian was merely a harbinger.

Evidently, this news would soon reach the powerful theocratic nation of the Holy See and be placed on the Pope's desk.

In the recent border battles, the Order's army prematurely withdrew from the battlefield, leading to a major defeat for the kingdom's western legions. Although the disastrous situation in the west could not be entirely attributed to the Order, the King of Taros clearly hoped that the high-ranking Pope would offer an explanation. The reappearance of the "Ancient Guardian" might elicit some reaction from the people of the Holy See, who were otherwise indifferent to everything.

At the very least, they would send a representative of considerable status to investigate the situation.

The King of Taros clearly knew nothing about the secret investigative team from the Holy See that had already landed on the kingdom's southern border and was struggling through the dark jungles of the south.

And the "Ancient Guardian" himself, the person at the center of these events, had only just broken free from the soft bed that had been holding him captive half an hour earlier, and was now standing on a terrace in the Golden Rose Palace, looking groggy.

Veronica, back in her military uniform, stood before Hao Ren, looking heroic: "Guardian, you don't seem to have slept well last night. Is it because you're not used to the Golden Rose Palace, or were the servants not attentive enough?"

"No, the servants were very responsible," Hao Ren waved his hand. "It's just that I'm not used to having so many people standing guard inside and outside while I sleep – it's like saying goodbye to a corpse."

Veronica laughed: "That's very much your style."

"Speaking of which, I saw several groups of people running out of that gate down there today," Hao Ren glanced at the rose-lined avenue below the terrace. Several more knights escorted a messenger across the cobblestone road. "They're pretty busy."

Veronica looked helplessly at the person who seemed oblivious to his own importance: "Half of them are going around to inform people about the 'Ancient Guardian.' Scholars and representatives from the Tower of Mysteries will probably be looking for you soon."

Hao Ren smacked his forehead. He had expected this, but it still gave him a headache. To avoid thinking about these troublesome matters, he decided to change the subject: "So, you came to find me so early in the morning—what's up?"

"My younger brother and sister wanted to meet the legendary 'Ancient Guardian,'" Veronica smiled. "They were both very sick recently and missed the welcoming ceremony, and didn't even show up at yesterday's banquet. Ania is feeling much better today and has been clamoring to see you since morning, but I'm worried about her health..."

"Oh, oh, that's no problem, of course," Hao Ren immediately responded. "I'll go see her. I'm actually quite curious myself."

Veronica was taken aback: "Curious? Curious about what?"

Hao Ren coughed lightly: "Cough, nothing, just curious about what your brother and sister look like. You've mentioned them a few times, but I haven't met them yet."

"You'll like them," Veronica said with unwavering confidence, gesturing for Hao Ren to board the carriage. "Ania is a smart and lovely girl, and Andrew is very well-behaved."

Soon, Hao Ren was taken by Veronica's carriage to the eastern side of the Golden Rose Palace, where the princess and prince, still recovering from their illness, were recuperating. The carriage stopped in front of a small garden belonging to a separate building. A gravel path wound through bushes and flowerbeds, leading to a white-spired house not far away. Veronica stepped out of the carriage first: "Guardian, please wait here for a moment. I'll go see if they're ready."

Royal family members have many rules, and receiving guests often requires extremely complicated preparations. After the preparations are complete, internal and external confirmation is required. Usually, the notification is done by servants, but Veronica was clearly more of a hands-on person who preferred to confirm things herself. Hao Ren understood this. After the princess disappeared down the gravel path and through the door at the end, he got out of the carriage and strolled around the flowerbeds. Unlike the magnificent and splendorous Golden Rose Palace, this "side hall" located on the side of the palace felt more approachable. It lacked some of the grandeur and splendor of the main hall, but it had a more welcoming and friendly atmosphere. The various plants in the garden in front of the door bloomed in competition, which was much cuter than the huge statues and reliefs in front of the main hall.

As Hao Ren was strolling around, the sound of a skirt brushing against the grass suddenly came from the side, followed by a slightly surprised voice from a young girl: "Eh?"

Hao Ren looked up and saw a girl in a white princess dress with long, light purple hair, holding a brass watering can in her hands, standing in the flowerbed next to him. He was stunned: "Veronica? How did you manage to change clothes so quickly? I thought you didn't like wearing..."

The girl in the flowerbed looked a little dazed and took a half step back in fear: "Ah?"

"Wait, you're not Veronica," Hao Ren realized. "She always does a tiger landing when she retreats - are you Veronica's sister?"

Ania looked Hao Ren up and down before smiling. Her face was a little pale and her voice was soft: "You must be the 'Ancient Guardian' that my sister mentioned. I am Ania Bellune Ansa. You can just call me Ania."

Ansa was the surname of the Taros royal family. The person in front of him was indeed Veronica's twin sister, as Hao Ren had suspected. After clarifying this, Hao Ren finally paid more attention to the differences between the princess in front of him and Veronica. She seemed smaller, and her face was very pale, probably because she was recovering from a serious illness. Her eyes seemed to be larger, and she exuded a gentle and quiet temperament. Even in her poor health, she was still dignified and graceful—Veronica had never shown even a hint of such an aura. The knight princess's greatest impression on Hao Ren was swinging a thirty-pound knight's greatsword and cutting through monsters like vegetables, and kicking all kinds of enemies into the dirt...

After confirming the identity of the person in front of him, Hao Ren had one thought: how could two children born to the same parents develop into such extremes? These two sisters were like max-level veterans creating small accounts to experience life. One had maxed out her intelligence points, and the other had two hundred points in strength...

As he and Ania were facing each other awkwardly, the door not far away was suddenly pushed open with a bang, and Veronica rushed out from inside with a small boy flailing in her arms: "Guardian, this is terrible! My sister is missing!"

Hao Ren and Ania stared blankly at the knight princess.

A moment later, Hao Ren pointed at Ania: "Your sister is outside watering the flowers—you really didn't see her just now?"