Imprisoned for a Trillion Years, I Was Worshipped by All Gods!

"You, go fetch that item."

The servant responded promptly and turned back into the sleeping quarters, rummaging around inside.

A moment later, he emerged slowly, holding a transparent glass jar in his hands.

The jar itself was nothing special. What made it remarkable was the small flame burning steadily inside it—a flickering fire that, even through the glass, caused the surrounding temperature to rise noticeably.

The servant spoke respectfully,

"Sir Alan, this spirit of fire was personally obtained by Her Highness. She went to the king in the middle of a torrential storm to request it."

"Even in the entire Plantagenet Kingdom, there's only one with such high purity. Her Highness went through all that trouble just for—"

"Shut up. Why are you rambling so much?" the third princess interrupted abruptly.

She took the jar from the servant and handed it to Alan.

"This spirit of fire should help your sister hold on a bit longer. But don't worry—when I returned to the kingdom, I didn't just bring this back."

"I also dispatched the kingdom's best healer to Sirius Academy to examine your sister's condition. We still don't know the results of the treatment, though…"

Alan was moved. He quickly bowed slightly to thank her.

"Your Highness… I truly don't know how to thank you enough."

The third princess averted her gaze, her tone awkward.

"Oh come on, just take it. Don't say all that sentimental nonsense. Compared to sixty million, this little flame doesn't amount to much. If anything, I should be the one thanking you…"

"No, no, no. You're a princess. How could I—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a wave of powerful mana surged through the air, sweeping both of them in an instant. While the third princess and Alan were able to endure it, the poor servant was directly knocked to the ground, sitting there in a daze.

Neither of them spoke. They turned at once toward the source of the mana wave.

In the forest beyond Ironblood City, toward the direction of the minor realm, an enormous magic array was now slowly fading away, dispersing into nothingness.

The third princess's expression turned cold.

"The vein has been fully excavated. Ironblood City will fall into chaos soon."

"Why do you say that? Isn't the minor realm still some distance away from Ironblood City?" Alan asked, puzzled.

The third princess quickly explained,

"Think about it. Once the vein is mined, where will the ore be stored? It's not like they'll leave it lying around in the wilderness."

"Eventually, Ironblood City will become their warehouse. Worse, it'll serve as a central hub for transporting the ore to the outside world."

"Also, those powers hiding in the shadows—they don't dare approach the minor realm directly, but they can disguise themselves as traveling merchants and blend into Ironblood City."

"Not to mention, the Barton Kingdom will undoubtedly return. They already lost the scroll once; now they'll be even more desperate to get their hands on the ore."

Finally, the third princess sighed softly and said to Alan,

"You should leave. Return to the Imperial Capital. Don't come back until the storm has passed."

Alan understood the gravity of the situation.

If it were a small-scale conflict, he could still lend a hand. But if it escalated into a full-blown war between nations, there was little he could do. No individual could turn the tide of that kind of conflict alone.

Besides, the struggle for the scroll in the minor realm had already taken a heavy toll on him.

Staying here would only add to the burden.

"Alright… I'll go."

Alan clenched his fist, tucked the jar containing the spirit of fire close to his chest, and raised his hand in farewell to the third princess.

But just as he reached the doorway, her voice called out from behind him.

"Be careful on the road…"

Alan didn't look back. He simply asked,

"Is someone targeting me?"

The third princess fell silent for a moment before answering,

"Although you helped me deal with those Church members earlier, don't forget—those at Lioncrest Academy have been eyeing you for a while now."

"Out in the open, they can't make a move against you. But behind the scenes? I'm sure they're looking for any opportunity to strike."

Alan sneered.

"Assassination isn't exactly the behavior of gentlemen."

The third princess sighed again.

"This has nothing to do with being a gentleman. As long as the method is deadly and discreet enough, that's all they care about."

"History is written by the victors. If you die in some unremarkable corner of the world, they can spin your death however they please."

"That's exactly what happened to the people of Sirius Academy. They suffered the same underhanded tactics, and that's why Lioncrest has been suppressing them ever since."

Alan fell silent.

He hadn't expected that students from the most prestigious academy in the Empire could harbor such sinister intentions. It was despicable.

Still, for the sake of easing the third princess's mind, he said,

"I'll be careful. You should take care of yourself too."

With those words, he turned and left.

Back in the courtyard, the third princess took out the faintly glowing rune stone once more. It still held the lingering warmth of Alan's palm.

She gently rubbed its surface, her lips curling into a soft, involuntary smile.

"How long do you plan to keep making me worry… idiot…"

…

By sunset, Alan had successfully boarded the magic train heading for the Imperial Capital.

The conductor seemed to be a devout follower of the Church. The moment he saw Alan, he welcomed him enthusiastically into the first-class carriage. Meals were personally served.

Alan leaned back in his seat, gazing upward as he pulled out the glass jar containing the spirit of fire.

He gently caressed the jar, and through the flickering flame inside, it was as if he could see his sister's smiling face.

Though one thing after another had left him both physically and mentally exhausted, Alan's thoughts never strayed from Isabella.

They had never been separated for so long since they were children.

Was she missing him? Had anyone bullied her? Was she lying in bed, unable to sleep because of her illness?

He didn't know.

It took him a long while to pull himself from those emotions.

Alan carefully stored the jar again and looked down at his right hand.

Not long ago, this hand had clasped Alice's, sealing a promise to meet again.

The words Sacred Realm still felt too distant to him—but not unreachable.

Alan's gaze grew firm.

Alice might hold the title of Duke, but her power and presence far exceeded that of an ordinary noble.

Even the Church and Lioncrest Academy held her in awe, which could only mean that her background was far more powerful than it appeared.

But so what?

Anyone can walk a well-paved path. Only those who dare to climb towering peaks are called the brave.

To Alan, Alice was one such peak—a majestic mountain whose summit was still hidden by the clouds.

He couldn't yet see what lay at the top.

But he knew this much—someday, he would see it. And more than that… he would climb even higher. Farther.