Queen Dowager Guinevere and Chancellor Guinness looked like they were on the verge of death.
Marcus found their misery amusing and let out a chuckle.
Michael, too, allowed himself a subtle smile.
It had been his intention all along—to intimidate the kings before they arrived at the coronation.
Now, not one of them would dare find fault with the ceremony to co.
Dominic stood below, watching Marcus descend with a smug, satisfied grin tugging at his lips.
A man who had once been no more than a low-ranking baron—who could have imagined he would rise so high?
And in such a short ti, too.
"They say fortune rides the wind... I suppose it's true. , a king... Though I'll soon step aside as regent, still—what a triumph."
The state of the delegation as they dismounted from Marcus was, in a word, devastating.
Though they had finally touched down on the coveted land, most couldn't even stand straight.
Their bodies were hunched, their legs trembling, minds half-lost to the wind and madness of that wild flight.
The knights had to step in.
One by one, they helped the kings and high nobles dismount, gently guiding them to solid ground.
Watching the scene unfold, Dominic laughed inwardly.
"Well done, Michael. Well done, Marcus."
Dominic slowly descended the steps to welco the kings and envoys.
"Welco. I'm glad you all arrived safely."
The delegation, without exception, had collapsed to the ground, panting and trembling.
Short of kneeling before Dominic, there was little else they could do.
"Ugh…!"
"A-Ah… What in the world…?"
From one side of the training grounds, Anita stepped forward.
With Charles V now stable, she had left him in Hope's care and co to assist.
Anita pressed her robe straight, barely suppressing a smile.
Seeing the kings and nobles of the continent flat on the ground with dazed, exhausted faces was a sight to behold.
Still, she was a healer.
No matter how ridiculous the situation, she couldn't ignore the suffering of her patients.
Thanks to Michael's prior ssage, she was fully prepared. Treatnt began imdiately and with practiced efficiency.
She moved quietly among the fallen, assessing their conditions.
They were beyond drained—wrecked by motion sickness, fear, and the sheer intensity of tension.
So sat collapsed, legs trembling. Others trembled uncontrollably, gasping for breath.
Their eyes were unfocused, lips dry, skin pale.
Anita approached Romano II first—he was the eldest.
Draped in a richly embroidered robe, the king was clutching his chest and struggling to breathe.
Anita offered a gentle smile.
"Take a slow breath in... and out, Your Majesty. You'll feel better soon."
"A healer...? I had treatnt during a stop earlier, but it didn't help—wait, what is this?"
Her fingertips glowed with a faint blue light as she gently laid her hand on his forehead.
"I've relaxed the muscles strained by stress and tension and stabilized your circulation. You've had a severe headache from prolonged exposure to intense wind. How are you feeling now?"
"Much better... thank you."
Romano II could only marvel.
What kind of place is this...? First a dragon, then a sphinx... now a healer with skills like this?
While he sat recovering in awe, Anita smiled softly and moved on to the next patient.
Miracles were happening all around.
Pale faces regained color. Trembling hands steadied.
Those who had been retching now sat upright without discomfort.
Those who'd shaken with fear now found their breath again.
The storm of terror and anxiety that had begun the mont they mounted Marcus was lifting—slowly, like a morning mist.
Anita offered each person a word of comfort as she made her way down the line.
One noble, well-inford about her reputation, kissed her hand reverently.
"It is an honor to et you, Saintess of Healing."
His voice was full of genuine admiration.
Since the incident with Charles V's poisoning, Anita's fa had spread across the continent.
She alone had saved a man from the grip of an outer-god's poison—an act no one else could replicate.
But few had t her in person.
Now, those who had once been overwheld by Michael's prowess were beginning to be humbled by the saint's touch as well.
And that, too, had been part of the plan.
Watching it all unfold, Michael moved on to the next phase.
Now was the ti to showcase culture and technology.
Elizabeth, Kate, and Phoebe were fully imrsed in preparations for the coronation.
Not rely decorating, but crafting an artistic and magical space that would be rembered in history.
In the plaza where the ceremony would be held, brilliant ceremonial drapery had been hung.
Thousands of magical lamps, designed by Leonardo with painstaking care, lined the pillars surrounding the plaza, creating a divine ambiance.
The magical lights shifted colors depending on the ti of day—depicting dragons, sphinxes, and the red-and-gold emblem of Xerxes.
The synchronized glow of thousands of lights changing hue was nothing short of breathtaking.
It gave the impression that the entire plaza was wrapped in a great golden tide.
As the kings and high nobles passed through the plaza, they could not hold back their admiration.
"…Impressive," muttered Emperor Oswald, unable to hide his awe.
The soft lamp-light danced in his blue eyes.
Henry III was just as impressed. He leaned in and whispered to his guard:
"This place is sacred. It feels like they pulled the stars out of the sky… I can't even imagine how much gold they poured into this."
His gaze followed the line of lamps running along the columns.
As the lights moved, the silhouettes of dragons and sphinxes ford vivid, dynamic images.
At the plaza's center stood a massive ceremonial platform, crafted from pristine white marble.
On it was carved the new royal crest in gold.
Instead of reviving the fallen dynasty's symbol, Michael had chosen to combine the dragon and sphinx—his own creation—to mark a fresh beginning.
At the front of the platform hung a tapestry depicting Dominic and Michael's journey, woven in rich, vibrant color and surrounded by magical lamps and seasonal flowers.
"Where on earth did they find lily-of-the-valley this ti of year?"
"You haven't heard? The greenhouse here is sothing else entirely."
"You've been on a tour already? Quick, aren't you?"
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