164. Eirin and Lilia

“What is this…?”

Lilia, also startled, hurriedly raised her hand above her head.

She wasn’t mistaken.

The World Tree’s Crown was definitely there, on her head.

‘No way. Surely, the World Tree’s Crown is…’

Only for my first wife.

And a symbol created only for the mother of the child chosen for the World Tree’s regeneration.

So, it was impossible for both of them to summon that crown.

• No, it is possible.

But at that moment, I felt the will of the World Tree transmitted from the Obelisk.

• You have chosen both of them as your first wives.

At that statement, I understood the situation to some extent.

‘Could it be that my will… didn’t want to give up on either of them?’

Aylin and Lilia.

It meant that my desire for both of them was equal.

• According to the established order, it would have been impossible. Nevertheless, if something actually becomes possible, the world calls it a miracle.

I agreed with the words conveyed by the World Tree’s will.

This wasn’t the time to be standing around dumbfounded.

I extended both my hands to Aylin and Lilia.

As if a lady were taking her partner’s hand at a ball.

Aylin and Lilia, with expressions full of emotion, smiled and took my hands.

I hugged both of them tightly at the same time.

“Thank you for carrying my children.”

At those words, both Aylin and Lilia’s eyes turned red.

More than anyone, these two must have been the most worried.

In the worst-case scenario, there was a chance that neither of them would be chosen.

To that extent, it wasn’t easy for me, possessing Reinhardt’s blood and being a demigod, to have children.

“I’m so… relieved…”

“Relieved. That both of us can have Yulian-nim’s children like this…”

I soon brushed away the tears that were starting to flow from their eyes with my fingers.

And I asked the will of the World Tree.

“Both of them are now officially my wives. Then, what does the fact that there are two children of regeneration mean…”

At those words, the Obelisk resonated.

Again, the will of the Obelisk began to flow into my mind.

• They are the children of the sky and the earth.

At that moment, the surrounding scenery changed.

Aylin and Lilia were startled, but they were flying in the sky with me, not falling to the ground.

“The sky and…”

“The child of the earth?”

Both of them also heard the words conveyed by the will of the Obelisk.

And soon, the group flew over the sky beyond a huge fortress wall.

All three of us looked down below.

A place far more prosperous than the Imperial Capital, Teria.

It was an unfamiliar place filled with buildings of a style I had never seen before.

“Could this place be…”

“The Ancient Empire?”

But it didn’t seem like the Ancient Empire.

The group had seen the scene of the Ancient Empire’s destruction together.

So, it was filled with completely new appearances, unlike the buildings of that Ancient Empire.

And the people gathered below were gathered as if they were conducting some kind of ritual.

[May the blessings of the gods be upon all the imperial citizens gathered here today!]

Since they were mentioning the blessings of the gods.

It was definitely some kind of religious ritual.

Probably the leader of this place.

Someone who seemed full of dignity and power, enough to be called an emperor, was leading the ritual with a sword.

[And that name… the great Yulian, Yulian von Reinhardt! In the name of the holy god! And with the name of the goddess ***!]

The moment they heard those words, Aylin and Lilia made eye contact with me.

“Could it be that the scene unfolding there is…”

“A future far in the future?”

Clearly, my name was being called by those people as the name of a god.

And the person who appeared to be the emperor was, of course, someone I had never seen before.

But from the flags erected around that emperor, I discovered a familiar crest.

‘The Lion crest…’

At the same time, I remembered that the emperor had mentioned not only my name but also the name of a goddess.

That was the moment.

The surrounding scenery changed again, and the three of us witnessed numerous scenes in a short moment.

And within those scenes.

I was able to understand the meaning of the children of the sky and the earth that the World Tree had spoken of.

“I see, Lilia and I…”

“Aylin and I…”

It seemed they had also noticed.

The World Tree spoke through its will.

• It is not a future that will necessarily be realized. Or perhaps it is a future that may be impossible. But…

At that moment, I looked at Aylin and Lilia.

The three of us created a new miracle with our feelings for each other.

The child of regeneration, who was originally supposed to be one person, is now two.

The driving force that will continue to lead the distant future after Knoia disappears.

The meaning of the sky and the earth that the World Tree spoke of was exactly that.

‘The sky. That is me in the distant future, who will one day become the new god in place of Jedin and Yunir…’

Me, living as a god. The partner and goddess of that future is the wife of the sky.

That is Aylin.

And the child of the sky born between Aylin and me will become the new chief god in the distant future and protect Islend and the World Tree.

And the miracle that the three of us created together.

That other child of regeneration is the child of the earth.

The child of Lilia, the wife of the earth, is a special being who inherits the blood of both Reinhardt and Aschterich.

My successor who will continue that special and great lineage on earth.

Just like Jedin and Yunir did.

Even a god cannot manifest all their power on earth.

Just as there is an incarnation and a saintess, gods and humans are clearly beings who live in different worlds.

‘So, it is necessary for humans and gods to work together to achieve that balance.’

An era where humans reject humans and even insult gods.

If such an era returns, the current apocalypse could be repeated at any time.

My children, who will be born to the two of them, will each represent gods and humans and usher in a completely new era, unlike the past.

The three of us returned to the original place.

The World Tree conveyed all its words to us.

• Now that the spark of new hope has been ignited with two children. Make the future you have seen a reality. I believe in you.

Gugugugugung-

The World Tree vibrated.

The World Tree was already dying.

It must have consumed even its remaining great power to provide the three of us with a week’s time.

“That will. I will not forget it and will continue it.”

Aylin and Lilia also nodded.

Their bodies were enveloped in blue light.

The power they were creating was the mana of the beginning.

That sacred power would prevent the complete collapse of the World Tree.

‘What I have to do is clear.’

Now as a father.

And as the master of this world.

To execute Knoia.

A little later, the three of us left the depths of the World Tree together.

***

The Demon King’s army’s base.

In that base, set up in a part of the primeval forest, the fire did not end all night, and the meeting continued.

“It has already been a week since His Majesty left. In the meantime, the Alterne Mountains are…”

The command tent of that base.

There, the highest-ranking commanders of the Demon King’s army were sighing with dark expressions.

“I have heard the reports. They say that the magical power was so strong that they couldn’t even enter the entrance of the Alterne Mountains. That place is already a more terrible demonic realm than hell.”

“Summarizing the reported contents… it seems that it has already become a more dangerous place than even the permafrost, the most terrible Chaotic Gate.”

“Can our Demon King’s army really overcome such a demonic realm?”

The Great General of the Demon King’s army.

The white dragon Aytekia’s face, which was already pale, turned even whiter at the report.

‘I hope… nothing has happened to His Majesty.’

The master of the Demon King’s kingdom, Demon King Yulian von Reinhardt.

He, who headed to the deepest part of the primeval forest, told them to wait until he returned.

Saying that he would definitely find a way to overcome those Alterne Mountains.

But the situation had reached its limit.

Beyond those Alterne Mountains.

I don’t know the situation of the old Imperial Capital of the Lamir Empire right now.

The highest-ranking priests of the Demon King’s kingdom, who were with the Demon King’s army, were continuously warning.

• Knoia’s power is now just about to fully awaken. There is no time!

Aytekia was not a priest.

But even he could feel that this sacred primeval forest was filled with terrible magical power.

It had been a long time since he had seen a clear sky.

The dark clouds created by the magical power were pouring out that ominous light day and night.

‘Indeed… the future of our homeland, Agriel…’

Not only the future of the Demon King’s kingdom but even the future of Islend was not visible.

Even here, where the old Imperial Capital was still far away, there were signs of the apocalypse everywhere.

As mortals, they couldn’t even imagine that they could defeat Knoia, the being of chaos and the Demon God.

‘Let alone the old Imperial Capital, even crossing the Alterne Mountains…’

If something had happened to Yulian, who had headed to the depths of the primeval forest.

Aytekia had to choose.

He couldn’t just keep a large number of troops waiting in the primeval forest like this.

Those terrible two apostles had disappeared from the Demon King’s kingdom thanks to Yulian’s efforts.

But still, there were monsters everywhere he went.

‘I can’t just withdraw the troops like this to save the demons.’

In the end, if they couldn’t defeat Knoia, the apocalypse was certain, so it was truly a dilemma.

Even though he was becoming an ancient dragon, wrinkles filled the forehead of Aytekia, who still looked like a young man in his twenties.

But it was at that very moment.

“I have kept you waiting for a long time. All preparations are complete.”

The door of the tent opened.

And a man entered from beyond that door.

“As the Emperor of Agriel, I command you. From now on, we will cross the Alterne Mountains!”

At that moment, the commanders all knelt on one knee and said to their master.

“We will obey the command of His Great Majesty!”

Demon King Yulian von Reinhardt.

He had returned to his legion.