Chapter 0008: Seeing the Light Again

Hedy nodded and continued for Rebecca: "Marquis Grumman first placed Duke Cecil under house arrest, then took your relic, the Shield of the Guardian of the Kingdom of Ansu, from the ancestral tomb. Following this, he declared his support for Prince Toshi in the name of the heir of the Cecil family. In March of the same year, Prince Toshi was assassinated, and soon after, Marquis Grumman hastily declared his support for Prince Fiddick. In April of the same year, Prince Fiddick was defeated and took his own life..."

Members of the royal family with collateral inheritance rights engaged in a struggle for the throne during the fog month of 635. By the third week of the fog month, the court struggle escalated into civil war, with various royal members and the powerful nobles supporting them beginning direct armed confrontation—the Cecil family was also drawn into the conflict

After this, Gao Wen lost the desire to speak, as the dim and cramped underground passage drained everyone's willingness to converse, leaving only the need to quicken their pace and continue on their journey

But this is not the end, as Hetty has more to say: "After that, Marquis Grumman approached an uncle of Dalian III, and with his exceptional eloquence, he facilitated an alliance. However, in the following month, the Northern Duke of Plundon-Wilde, who had not intervened in the civil war, suddenly pushed a young boy onto the stage and announced that the boy was the illegitimate son of the former king. Subsequently, the Northern Duke used this as leverage to participate in the civil war, which he concluded in the foggy month of Ansu 636. Just before the end of the civil war, Marquis Grumman attempted to employ the same tactic to declare loyalty to the new king, but before he could issue the statement, he was simultaneously attacked by both friend and foe on the battlefield and died under the chaos of blades.

The root of the calamity lies with Marquis Grumman. At that time, Duke Cecil was advanced in age, yet still in very good health, and his relationship with his eldest son, Grumman Cecil, was quite strained. Perhaps Marquis Grumman sensed a crisis... and secretly plotted, participating in the civil war of that year. As he had not yet inherited the family power and lacked sufficient charisma, Marquis Grumman turned his attention to the legendary ancestors.

The ancestors once again scolded the great-grandfather, and it is indeed better for the younger generation to remain silent

However, looking at others, at this moment there is no mood to pursue the issue of Rebecca speaking without thinking. Even Hettie, who has always been very strict with Rebecca, is now left with only deep concern: "Are you saying that... the monsters that appeared in Cecil's territory are those from seven hundred years ago?"

Unfortunately, the outside world is currently shrouded in darkness

Then he saw an unprecedentedly enormous luminous arc, radiating a faint mist of light, gradually rising above the horizon and casting its brilliance across the world

After that, it was the Ansu Second Dynasty. Of course, the term 'Second Dynasty'... remains a relatively sensitive topic even now

Gao Wen followed closely behind Rebecca as they arrived on the ground, his excitement no less than hers, and perhaps even greater.

Rebecca, who was sitting next to her, took over Hedy's words: "One hundred years ago, the last king of the Ansu First Dynasty, Dalian III, died of a sudden illness, leaving no heirs. At that time, there were numerous conflicts within the royal family, and even the legitimacy of Dalian III's own succession was disputed. After the king's death, the queen and the regent failed to control the situation in a timely manner, resulting in the 'Mist Month Rebellion'.

Byron Knight led the soldiers to leap out of the cave first, and only after they sent a signal of safety did the others follow in succession. As Rebecca climbed to the surface, she immediately took a deep breath and joyfully whispered, "We are out!"

Hedy lowered her head in shame: "... ... Seven hundred years can bring about many changes, both for families and for this country. The current Ansu is no longer the First Dynasty, but rather the Second Dynasty. The Cecil family is no longer the powerful vassals supporting the royal family, but rather those who bear a stain on their name, exiled by the royal family."

The years of war with the monsters after the period of exploration have already become history," Herti gently shook her head, "Although there are records in the historical texts, the most recent accounts date back at least six hundred years... From what I have learned, the monsters that wandered out from the ruins of the ancient empire indeed troubled Ansu for a long time, but ever since the elves assisted humans in constructing those sentinel towers, those creatures have completely become a legend...

A vast expanse of sky and earth

"Isn't it those who jump the hardest?" Gao Wen's lips twitched uncontrollably, as this entire segment of history made him, an elder who had looked down upon the world for over a hundred thousand years, feel an immense discomfort. He could only sense that life is indeed more exaggerated than fiction—after all, fiction still adheres to some basic logic. How could that Marquis Grumman be so exceptionally gifted? "I suppose no one can stir things up more than Grumman Cecil, right?"

Logically speaking, it shouldn't be the case. Even if we set aside the elite education that noble children must receive, her identity as a spellcaster itself is almost proof of her intelligence. After all, casually conjuring a fireball is not something an ordinary person can master

Gao Wen: "... ..."

That is not the sun

Under the blessing of the earth element, the ancient tunnel stairs showed no signs of collapse. It was particularly fortunate that the area near the exit was not completely buried by soil and stones. After clearing away some tree roots, vines, and loose soil that were blocking the exit, fresh air finally blew on everyone's faces after a long absence

At this moment, Amber, who had been listening quietly without speaking, suddenly said, "The entire farce lasted only one year, yet it completely reshuffled the order of the entire kingdom... Who on the continent is unaware of this history?"

Gao Wen sighed: "Seeing how unfamiliar you all are with those monsters, it seems you haven't encountered them in several hundred years."

"The misfortune of the family, the misfortune of the family..." Gao Wen covered his forehead. Although he was not the true ancestor of the Cecil family, the remarkable achievements and extraordinary deeds of that Marquis Grumman had reached a level that left listeners astonished and onlookers in tears. Even just hearing about it made him feel deeply moved. "Moreover, that prodigal son even lost my shield..."

The glory of the Cecil family has long since faded. Although you are still regarded as the legendary founding duke by the kingdom, ..." Hettie glanced at Rebecca with some difficulty, "... but now, Rebecca, who inherits the family title, is merely a viscountess, and this Cecil territory... is the last remaining land of the family.

The white light on the horizon is growing brighter, the night has passed, and dawn is approaching. Each person who has escaped from the underground tunnel is now immersed in the joy of having survived the disaster, while Gao Wen, filled with a unique sense of joy and excitement, strides toward the direction of the rising sun, arms wide open as if to embrace the sun of this new world

Although he spent less than a day with this nominal great-great-great-great-granddaughter, Gao Wen was still deeply impressed by Rebecca and found himself questioning more than once whether something had pinched her head when she was a child

Gao Wen was completely baffled: "Uh... what is going on?"

Gao Wen thought for a moment about his own great achievements from years past, and with great confidence, he smiled and said: "Rest assured, with the position of the Cecil family in Ansu, along with the influence I have left behind, I believe that the city of Saint Sunier will spare no effort in assisting you to rebuild your territory"

Hedy & Rebecca: "... ..."

This matter must be reported to His Majesty the King," Rebecca suddenly clenched her fist tightly and said with a serious expression, "The monster that vanished from existence hundreds of years ago has suddenly reappeared within the borders of the Empire. Someone must quickly relay this information back. Moreover, the Cecil territory has suffered heavy losses from this unforeseen disaster. We... we must seek assistance from the royal family...

Could it be that after seven hundred years, the name of the legendary founding duke, Gawain Cecil, is no longer recognized in this country?

But one should also be grateful for this nightfall, as it allows him to see the starry sky of this otherworld for the first time

They are completely unfamiliar stars

Gao Wenxin had vaguely guessed something, but still nodded and said, "Go ahead, I am listening."

Gao Wen was dumbfounded: "... Ha? How come I remember that when I 'died' back then, I was already a duke, and it was an inherited title? The territory extended all the way from Cecil's domain to the Holy Spirit Plains... What on earth did the descendants of Cecil do afterwards? Did the King of Assassins kill the ruler or raise an army to rebel?"

A faint white light has begun to appear on the horizon, and the approach of dawn makes the starlight in the sky seem sparse and dim. The scattered stars appear to be shrouded in a layer of mist, hazy and distant

His first reaction was to raise his head and gaze at the sky

Fortunately, Gao Wen was not the true party involved in the incident, and he quickly adjusted his mindset—this, in Hedi's view, demonstrated an astonishing breadth of mind and generosity. He then shook his head slightly: "Forget it, pursuing these past matters is of no benefit to the current situation. In any case, those monsters that have reappeared pose a tremendous threat to the human world. The king of Saint Sunil may disregard the already declining Cecil family, but he cannot afford to overlook those monsters; therefore, he must also pay attention to us, who have managed to escape from this disaster."

Hedy nodded vigorously: "What you say is indeed true"

After that, the Cecil family fell into a state of decline," Hedy lowered her head, "The family's fate could have been worse, but your reputation and the efforts of that old duke back then managed to preserve the family's bloodline and the last remnants of its foundation. However, since then, the name 'Cecil' could no longer become the center of the kingdom, just as you can see...

However, to his surprise, upon hearing his words, neither Hedy nor Rebecca displayed any signs of relief; instead, their expressions became unusually strange.

Rebecca noticed Gavin's gaze and turned her head: "Ancestor?"

Gao Wen covered his forehead and said, "I remember now, my shield was taken away by him, right?"

"Because the one who ultimately ascended to the throne was a bastard, this war is privately referred to as the Bastard War," Hedy said. "The number of high nobles involved in the civil war was considerable, so many families were implicated. However, this was still part of the noble rules. Moreover, at the beginning of the Second Dynasty, the country was in extreme chaos, and the new king urgently needed to restore order, which required the power of the old nobility. Therefore, most families were not completely exterminated, except for..."

"Ancestry..." Hedy's expression appeared exceptionally grim, and she bit her lip several times with great force, as if she had finally made up her mind. "Actually, I wanted to tell you something while we were in the tomb, but... it was just too difficult to say."

Reemergence into the light

Fortunately, the straight underground passage allows for the fastest traversal of the entire Cecil territory, and the nearest exit is not too far from the castle. After traveling for a while, Gawain determined through memory that they had arrived at a suitable exit.

Gao Wen followed Hedi's gaze and looked at Miss Rebecca Cecil, whose head had been caught in a vice.

Gao Wen furrowed his brow slightly: "The Sentinel Tower... The structures built by the elves should not encounter problems so easily"