And now, he was experiencing proof of that legend firsthand.
Sigmund's face lit up.
"Isn't this incredible?"
The pain that had plagued him all his life—gone, completely.
He thought back on all the suffering he'd endured.
Pain had been his constant companion. There had never been a mont when he wasn't hurting.
But now…
Without even realizing, he jumped up and hurried over to Michael.
As the pillow vanished from beneath its head, the sphinx let out a low grumble and shifted slightly.
"Thank you. Truly, thank you," Sigmund said, voice full of emotion. "The headaches that tornted for so long have vanished, and I feel so light. I can't even rember the last ti I felt this way."
Did… did he figure it out?
A flicker of concern crossed Michael's face.
They were close now, but this kind of realization—this quickly—wasn't ideal.
Yet Sigmund's next words instantly put his worries to rest.
"You had sleep between the divine beasts on purpose, didn't you? I've heard legends that those who stay close to divine beasts grow remarkably healthy. I once told you about the curse my younger brother put on ."
With eyes brimming with gratitude, Sigmund clasped Michael's hands.
Michael subtly lowered his head, doing his best to suppress the laughter bubbling up inside.
"So he didn't even use a blanket, just crawled between Marcus and Nyangnyang to stay warm? Well… I guess it worked either way."
Unaware of the truth, Sigmund was overco with awe.
A chronic condition that no healer across the continent could cure had been erased overnight. No wonder he was emotional.
"Is there anything you want from ?" he asked suddenly. "No, don't get wrong—this isn't about offering you a reward from a superior. I just… I genuinely want to express my gratitude."
He ant it sincerely.
Michael shook his head without hesitation.
"There's no need. I only did what a friend should do."
Friend?
Was that what they were?
A brilliant smile spread across Sigmund's face.
"Yes. We are friends."
Michael smiled too.
It was the first ti in either of his lives—past or present—that he could truly call soone a friend.
anwhile, Romano II struggled to hide the irritation on his face.
"Those lunatics drank every last drop of that precious liquor?"
He couldn't scold them, nor could he demand gold as compensation. It was maddening.
His eyes narrowed at the laughing fools seated in front of him.
"What's so funny? Both of them look like ghosts."
Even their handso faces seed obnoxious today.
Noticing the glare, Sigmund lifted his head.
"Ah, I must apologize for last night. I'll send twice the amount of wine to make up for what we drank."
Romano II's face turned pale.
Did I hear that right? Is this man mocking ?
But Sigmund's expression was deadly earnest.
Even the furrow that usually marred his brow was relaxed.
Romano, sensing the sincerity, dropped all pretense and nodded eagerly.
"Thank you. I've heard that the Celeste Empire is ho to many fine liquors."
Refusing politely might give this madman an excuse to rescind the offer.
Sigmund gave a small smile at Romano's reaction.
In the past, such flippant behavior would have annoyed him.
But now that his body felt light and pain-free, everything just seed amusing.
"Was the world always this beautiful?"
In his good mood, the eting proceeded smoothly.
"Our Celeste Empire will dispatch 2,000 knights, 1,000 magical beasts, and 300 mages. I agree with Michael I's suggestion to strike fast and retreat quickly."
Gasps echoed around the room.
Did he just say… Michael I?
The proud Emperor Sigmund had just acknowledged Michael's kingship—before anyone else.
What was going on?
Michael responded in a gentle tone.
"I haven't yet ascended the throne, so that title is premature. The current king of the Xerxes Kingdom is still my father. However, once this eting concludes, the coronation will begin. I hope you'll all attend and celebrate with us."
It had all been planned in advance with Sigmund.
In this quiet but calculated way, Michael solidified his future rule.
His father planned to abdicate once the war with the Holy Kingdom ended.
The reason for placing his father on the throne first was simple and pragmatic—
To ensure his sisters could be recognized as legitimate princesses.
This small performance would give them royal status, changing their marriage prospects and strengthening the royal family.
The others in the eting room turned pale.
Attend the coronation? What kind of ambush is this?
And yet—
"Of course. It's an honor to be invited to such a montous occasion," Sigmund said, sweeping his gaze across the room.
I'm the emperor, and I'm going. Are you really going to refuse?
Henry III of Elonia was next, smoothly playing his part.
"Haha, I'm looking forward to it. I'll attend as well."
Oswald, Emperor of the Pamir Empire, followed suit.
"I too will gladly be there."
The tide had clearly shifted.
"Th-then I'll go as well."
"We couldn't possibly miss it."
One by one, everyone voiced their intention to attend.
Once everyone accepted Michael's invitation, the eting progressed smoothly.
It was only natural—with both Michael and Sigmund, the two most powerful figures on the continent, in agreent.
After Sigmund announced the scale of his military deploynt, Oswald, the Emperor of the Pamir Empire, hesitantly spoke.
Due to an ongoing civil war, it was incredibly difficult for him to mobilize troops. But in order to secure his position, he couldn't afford to remain on the sidelines of the continental conflict.
Of course, he also couldn't ignore Michael's presence.
"The Pamir Empire will dispatch 1,000 pureblood warriors from the Five Great Tribes, two royals, and fifty shamans," he declared.
While it paled in comparison to the military forces pledged by Michael and Sigmund, considering the internal strife, it was still a respectable commitnt.
Following Oswald's announcent, the other nations quickly began listing their contributions.
Most had already settled their deploynt scales back ho, so it didn't take long.
The sluggishness of the previous day's eting had given them additional ti to prepare.
Thus, the final numbers were determined.
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