SAINTESS [Chapter 54: The Isatia Is About to Collapse]

The Everlasting Imperial Crown had reached its limit.

Isatia's eyes narrowed as she watched Cantarius, surrounded by her knights, constantly being repelled but remaining unharmed.

A female knight stepped forward to support her, and Isatia then realized that her body had unconsciously begun to lean.

Her fatigue could no longer be concealed.

Isatia had forcibly constructed the Mars Royal Palace using Everlasting Imperial Crown, but due to her limited understanding, over half of the understanding rate still couldn't allow her to fully construct the Mars civilization. Coupled with her knowledge of the Royal Palace as the core building, the constructed palace was incomplete, with many blank parts, relying entirely on overdrawing her spiritual sea for support.

Now, her spiritual sea was about to burn dry, and this temporarily constructed Mars Royal Palace will collapse in an instant like a mirage on the sea.

And the complete burning dry of her spiritual sea will be accompanied by a chain reaction: the Carillian City Bell Tower, which had stood for a thousand years as the central core of the [Eternal Imperial Crown], will completely collapse in her generation, the generation to which the legacy had passed.

Nothing could withstand the obliteration of time and years. No matter how magnificent the achievements, how powerful the empire, or how prosperous the family, they will all eventually be eliminated by time.

Even the Carillian family, which controlled the [Divine Blessing] of time, was one day eliminated by time, and they naturally would be no exception.

The Lanteville family had realized this long ago. Since her ancestors, they had realized that even though their family's [Divine Blessing] had never suffered a defeat since its inception, there was a huge flaw. If not handled properly, the future Lanteville family might end up like the Carillian family, with their lineage cut off and their entire clan annihilated overnight, with no one surviving.

Therefore, how to ensure the family's eternal continuation in the future became the primary task for the Lanteville family.

After all, the biological instinct is to reproduce. Only by continuing to reproduce can one talk about prosperity and decline. Otherwise, if all direct descendants of the family are wiped out, the Lanteville family will be like the Carillian family, without even a direct descendant inheriting the family's [Divine Blessing].

Over the long years, the Lanteville family discovered that trying to solve their family's [Divine Blessing] problem through external forces was as impossible as enemies dragged into the [Divine Blessing] trying to escape with their own strength.

The stronger a Saint family's [Divine Blessing] was, the more troublesome and difficult to handle the backlash it brought.

However, over a thousand years, as a prominent family, they hadn't discovered anything.

For example, they found that marrying into other Saint families, although the probability of giving birth to offspring was extremely low, could alleviate the corrosive effects on the buildings within their own [Divine Blessing] and even reverse the corrosion.

Therefore, the Lanteville family, as the Grand Ducal family of the ancient Carillian Empire at the time, spared no expense to marry the second daughter of the Carillian family, the Second Imperial Princess of the Carillian Empire.

This act greatly alleviated their family's [Divine Blessing]. The corrosion of the next generation of buildings even showed a reversal, and a central bell tower capable of slowing down the corrosion of all buildings was even born in the central area of the city. This made the Lanteville family at the time feel that they had found the direction for the family's continuation.

However, usually speaking, Saint families have few offspring, not even enough for heirs, let alone for marrying off.

Therefore, the Lanteville family fell into a predicament again. After all, most Saint families served as royalty, and it was unlikely that they would send out their precious heirs because of the Lanteville family's power.

It's not like they could start a war, waste resources, and snatch someone else's heir, right?

Later, the Lanteville family discovered a less effective but still useful method: through conquest and understanding, they could cast more foreign buildings within the [Eternal Imperial Crown]. These foreign buildings could also share the corrosion and enhance the corrosion resistance of the central bell tower.

Of course, the effect of doing so was much worse than marrying into a Saint family, but it was a last resort, better than doing nothing.

The method adopted by the Lanteville family was to conquer and understand a nation and power simultaneously.

Therefore, when conquering a nation, the head of the Lanteville family also gained a sufficient understanding of that power's culture. They knew very well how to handle the tempers of these ethnic groups. First, they respected their customs and culture, treated them as their own people, and gradually made them identify with the empire while retaining their ethnic culture.

This was the strategy of the Lanteville family.

As for waging war, they adhered to the Carillian Empire's attitude towards non-human ethnic groups, providing other ethnic groups with better lives and more convenient conditions, treating everyone equally.

Moreover, the Lanteville family did not directly govern the ethnic groups under their command too much, apart from garrisoning troops and making some major decisions and management. They only needed to acknowledge that they were citizens of the empire.

But no matter how they tried, no matter how long the history of the Lanteville family, their family's “cheat” behavior over the years was not without cost.

Now, the “creditors” had come for them, in Isatia's generation.

To continue the bloodline, Emperor Tyrell racked his brains and finally saw a glimmer of hope: an engagement invitation from the Saintess of the Radiance.

Emperor Tyrell was overjoyed at the time, almost overwhelmed by happiness.

The degree of corrosion that could be delayed and reversed by marrying into a Saint family varied, and while they were all Saint families, there were differences.

Marrying into famous large Saint families like the Carillian family and the Varelis family would definitely have a completely different effect than marrying into ordinary Saint families.

If this marriage succeeded, the Lanteville family would not have to worry about the collapse of the [Divine Blessing] for several centuries.

Of course, Emperor Carillian was no fool. Marrying into the Saintess's family was something they dared not even dream of on ordinary days, because first, whether the Saintess agreed or not, the Church of Radiance would be the first to disagree. Perhaps the invitation letter would be angrily returned by some bishop along the way before it even reached the Saintess, stating that it was disrespectful to the Saintess, the Pope, and the Goddess.

Even the Lanteville family, as the imperial family of the Tyrell Empire, could not bear such a heavy burden.

Now, this marriage, which he had longed for but could not obtain, was delivered to his desk, and it was even requested by the other party. How could there be no hidden agenda in this?

Emperor Carillian certainly knew, and the Saintess at the time did not hide it from him. After much thought, Emperor Tyrell at the time still agreed, perhaps with the mentality of treating a dead horse as if it were alive.

Emperor Tyrell at the time also promised Saintess that he would take good care of the descendants of the Varelis family in the future, and many of his actions reflected this.

However, by the next-next generation Emperor Tyrell, who was the grandson of the then Emperor Tyrell, his attitude changed completely.

He felt that his grandfather's actions were completely making a joke of the family and his own daughter.

After Isatia was born and could freely use [Divine Blessing], he accurately detected the situation of Isatia's [Eternal Imperial Crown] and realized that the Lanteville family was on the verge of life and death.

The corrosion of the central bell tower had become so severe that it was beyond remedy. If it was not resolved, the Lanteville family would end with Isatia's generation.

No, most likely not even Isatia's generation will be completed.

The thought that his eldest daughter, a true prodigy who would surely transcend the ordinary in the future, was destined to become a living dead in an undeserved calamity, filled Emperor Tyrell with sorrow, lamenting that heaven envied such talent, and he could not accept it.

Whether from the perspective of the Lanteville family's long-term plans or as a father, Emperor Tyrell could not accept this fact, so he desperately tried to find ways to alleviate his daughter's symptoms.

At least, to let his daughter live a healthy life.

He did not want his daughter to become a political sacrifice, but for Isatia's happiness and health, he did not rule out looking at the descendants of the already fallen Varelis family. After all, perhaps by coincidence, this generation of Varelis descendants happened to be a male.

What if? What if the two fell in love at first sight? They had to meet, right?

Of course, this was based on the premise that they both fell in love with each other.

However, Emperor Tyrell had very limited knowledge of the Varelis family, who were then in the Kingdom of Camella, but rumors about Winnie kept reaching his imperial court from time to time, making Emperor Tyrell's impression of Winnie even worse.

He was already not very supportive of the engagement set by his grandfather, ignoring it and adopting a wait-and-see attitude.

He secretly inquired about the Varelis family, but all the news from the Kingdom of Camella was negative about Winnie.

What? Relying on his ancestors' prestige to bully men and women, swaggering through the capital of Camella all day, harassing Princess Mirexia of Camella, appearing fierce but being timid, bullying the weak and fearing the strong, and there were even rumors that he liked men?!

This brat is completely indiscriminate, isn't he? Not letting go of either men or women?!

With such character and such an unchaste private life, how could Emperor Tyrell feel at ease entrusting his daughter to that uneducated, good-for-nothing scion?

How could his daughter like such a person?

Moreover, there were rumors that he was an imposter, that his identity was faked, and that he was not at all a blood descendant of the Varelis family, and that the true Varelis lineage had long since died out.

Currently, these rumors seem quite real, after all, appearance couldn't lie. Winnie didn't resemble any of the past Saintesses in the slightest, nor did he inherit their compassionate hearts.

So, the possibility of him being a fake was very high.

If the goods weren't even real, then was there still an issue of breaking the contract or not?

Their family had initially agreed that the engagement was with the Varelis family, and this boy couldn't even prove that he was a direct descendant of the Varelis family.

Therefore, whether for the continuation of the family or for his daughter's lifelong happiness, Emperor Tyrell could not agree to this marriage, but he also couldn't explicitly refuse, so he adopted an attitude of ignoring it.

Perhaps this was very utilitarian, but Emperor Tyrell had to do it.

The Lanteville family was on the verge of life and death, and there was no time to delay. For the continuation of his daughter and the family, they had to find a Saint family that could allow the Lanteville family to continue. Otherwise, he would have to watch his daughter and the Lanteville family perish.

History would record that the Lanteville family perished in his hands.

So, would the Lanteville family ultimately perish? Would it perish in her generation?

Isatia didn't know.

She accepted the female knight's support. At this moment, many thoughts flashed through her mind, recalling various past events and the words her father had said to her.

“You don't have to worry about the engagement. Father will take care of it for you, my child. You just need to live the life you want, love the person you want to love, and live happily ever after.”

She had known about the family's affairs for a long time.

With Isatia's intelligence, how could she be kept in the dark about what was happening to her?

“The Imperial Crown manifests, annihilating all invading enemies.”

The [Eternal Imperial Crown] had always been the patron god of their Lanteville family, but now, this patron god would fall, crashing down heavily on their heads.

This four-sided leaky Mars Royal Palace was about to collapse, along with the family's central tower that had stood for a thousand years.

If nothing unexpected happened, the consequences of the bell tower's fall would turn the entire [Eternal Imperial Crown] into ruins.

Loved one? Engagement?

Isatia shook her head.

Winnie was not someone who could stand with her, but rather someone who should stand behind her, receiving her protection.

Even if her life was in danger, she would fulfill her last duty.

“All personnel, form ranks.” Isatia forced herself to endure the pain of her brain being torn and seared by a hot iron.

“Everyone, listen to my last command.”

Upon hearing this, all the knights uniformly withdrew in front of Isatia, not uttering a word.

“Form the Tyrell military formation, and destroy the enemy with all your might!”

At Isatia's command, all the Imperial Knight cavalry, in coordination with infantry and mages, formed an unstoppable military formation and charged towards Cantarius alone.

“Ha, hahaha!” The domain power of the [Eternal Imperial Crown] pinned Cantarius in place, preventing him from moving. Even so, he still laughed loudly until the military formation crushed towards him, with the momentum to grind him into dust.

On Cantarius's body, countless souls flew away from his armor, like rushing water.

“Hahahaha! I have as many scapegoats as I need!” Cantarius mocked.

The Imperial Knights charged back and forth, and various magic spells emerged endlessly.

They knew that Isatia was running out of time, and their thousand years of waiting and loyalty were also coming to an end.

The Lanteville family, after all, met the same fate as the Carillian family.

“This??” At this moment, outside the Mars Royal Palace, accompanied by a deafening roar of unbearable weight, the constructed Mars Royal Palace collapsed, with millions of gold and jewel components scattered everywhere.

The huge aftermath nearly overturned Winnie. If it wasn't for the Imperial Knight beside him who promptly pulled him onto his horse and fled the scene, he would have been.

Watching the Mars Royal Palace collapsing from top to bottom behind him, Winnie's eyes broadened.

Sure enough, what was meant to come, came.

“It's over.” After running a safe distance, the Imperial Knight dismounted Winnie and looked at the highest point of the [Eternal Imperial Crown], the central bell tower. “It's still over.”

His tone was devoid of emotion, filled with utter silence.

If the central bell tower collapsed, they would have no place to return.

Winnie knew what the other party meant, and at this moment, he didn't know what to say, hesitating to speak.

“Is there no other way to repair that bell tower?”

“No.” The moment the Imperial Knight finished speaking, Winnie witnessed a shocking and unforgettable scene.

The central bell tower, symbolizing the imperial civilization, ultimately failed to withstand the shattering aftermath and broke into two halves at its most severely damaged point in the middle.

All was lost.

For some reason, the process of the upper half of the bell tower falling to the ground seemed abnormally slow in Winnie's eyes, only realizing it when it finally hit the ground.

The ground shook violently, as if the heavens and earth were splitting apart.

How the [Eternal Imperial Crown] was born is how it will vanish.

Winnie noticed that the Imperial Knight's figure was also slowly turning into a phantom.

He turned his head and looked deeply at Winnie.

“I don't know who you are, but you must be someone very important to Her Royal Highness.”

“Before the bell tower collapsed, she ordered me to take you to a safe area.”

“This is our first 'failure' in the [Eternal Imperial Crown].” The Imperial Knight shook his head. “Here, we have infinite life, endless stamina, and no enemy will be our match.”

“Alas, even the most magnificent building has a time when it can't bear the weight and collapses, just like imperial civilization.”

“After the ancient Carillian Empire, there was the Tyrell Empire. If the Tyrell Empire falls, no one knows if there will be another empire to succeed it.”

“Live well. From now on, there may be no empire to protect you.” The Imperial Knight said this meaningfully.

It was at this moment that Winnie understood that these knights, loyal to the Lanteville family, were not only loyal to the Lanteville family but also to the empire as a protector of the masses.

They protect the empire and also the common people.

It was precisely because of such great righteousness in their hearts and such charismatic personalities that the Lanteville family was able to take over the banner of the Carillian family and gain so many loyal knights who served them.

“Thank you, Sir Knight,” Winnie said sincerely. “Thank you for a thousand years of guardianship.”

“It is my duty.” The knight's muffled voice gradually became ethereal, and finally, he saluted Winnie with a knight's bow.

The [Eternal Imperial Crown] disappeared, and their mission came to an end.

The scene before him flickered for a moment, and with a crisp crack, it instantly collapsed. Then Winnie felt a sense of weightlessness, and he fell heavily to the ground.

When he opened his eyes again, it was still the familiar gladiatorial arena, the familiar Mars Royal Palace, but this time, he was no longer under the protection of the [Eternal Imperial Crown], no longer under the protection of the Empire.

Winnie anxiously looked around and finally found Isatia lying on the ground not far from him, her life unknown.

“Isatia, Isatia??” Winnie came before her and found that Isatia seemed to still be conscious, but her condition was extremely poor.

As Winnie was about to pick Isatia up, a loud bang descended from the sky and exploded on the ground.

“Hmph, it seems all my loyal soldiers were left in that domain by her.” Cantarius stretched his muscles, looked at the unconscious Isatia, and the exhausted Winnie, and sneezed, “Trying to slay a god, how foolish!”