567 I Am the Country (2/2)
”I see.” Elizabeth nodded, not minding his negligence, nor angered by that his dejection. She just looked at him, her eyes full of empathy. ”Did you have a sweet dream?”
”Yep.” Maxwell got up and stepped forward, setting foot on the steps, causing Lancelot to frown and stop him. ”Maxwell, you are in the throne room. Mind your etiquette in front of Her Majesty.”
From the moment Elizabeth sat upon the throne, she had become one with Avalon. From then on, until the end of the war, she would not separate from it, even though it was burning away her life. The Knights of the Round Table, who had guarded the royal family for centuries, was her final line of defense.
In the past, he would have let it go, as it wasn't exactly rare for Maxwell to commit a breach of etiquette. But the current situation was different, and Lancelot would not allow anyone to approach the throne, even Maxwell.
Moreover, the stench of alcohol on this guy was so strong that it could suffocate someone ten meters away to death, Lancelot grumbled mentally.
”Oh, Lancelot.” Maxwell drunkenly opened his eyes and finally recognized the person in front of him. He gave a smile of sudden realization, then... took out a half-empty bottle of rum from his pocket and waved it in front of Lancelot.
”Want some?”
The stench of poor-quality alcohol intensified, stinging Lancelot's wounded lungs, turning his face crimson with anger.
Right at that very moment, Maxwell let go, and the bottle of rum fell from his hand, shattering as it smashed on the ground. His hand, now empty, balled into a fist, the knuckle of his index finger protruding, and hammered down. From the other side of the round table armor which was not activated, his fingers pressed against the wound from many years ago, which had yet to properly heal.
Snap! The brief exchange ended in an instant before anyone could see clearly. Lancelot lost all his strength, half-kneeling on the ground. Maxwell easily took away the iron case beside Lancelot and put it in his arms.
The steel in the case shook as if it had been angered, but it was forcibly suppressed in the next moment.
”Sorry,” Maxwell whispered softly in Lancelot's ear, as he stepped forward!
To the throne.
The drunkenness in his eyes was ignited, morphing into an indescribable coldness and... a murderous intent!
Lancelot drew his sword.
Bang! Summoned by Maxwell, a quaint and majestic long sword penetrated the curtain of rain, answering his call. It brushed past Lancelot's cheek, and the fierce impact left a wound on his face. Then, the sword hit the steps that lead up to the throne.
Scepter·the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth!
In a flash, the kingdom of heaven descended here, erecting an unbreakable iron wall and separating the room into two domains. It locked Maxwell and the Queen inside together.
”Maxwell...” Outside the iron wall, Lancelot coughed up dark blood. Not even having time to gasp for breath, he turned back in shock. ”What are you trying to do!!!”
”Isn't it obvious?” Maxwell said as he advanced on the steps, not even bothering to turn his head.
The iron case originally kept safe by Lancelot laid opened in his hands. The meteorite metal that was slumbering in it was taken out and awakened, It drew the aether in the air and quickly proliferated...
In a flash, in the hands of Maxwell laid a heavy lance more than two meters in length. A massive amount of aether gathered on it, forming a scarlet glow that seemed to be flowing, as if the lance was entangled in silk...
It was the dragon-killing lance that had the name of a saint bestowed upon it!
Maxwell set foot on the last step, with his back towards Lancelot. He held the scorching hot lance tight, despite it burning his hands until they were charred. He went down on one knee and bowed at his empress for the last time.
”Your Majesty, pardon my offense.”
”I see that the need to make a choice has finally arrived, Maxwell...” Elizabeth looked at him and seemed to understand what was going on. After a good while, she sighed softly but did not resist. Instead, she chose to obey the arrangement of fate and closed her eyes.
”Maxwell!!!” Lancelot roared in rage.
The next moment, Avalon let out a dying whine of sorrow.
-
”From that day onwards, Leviathan broke through the second seal and entered the resurrection stage,” said Lancelot.
In the dim light, he kept his eyes down. ”The uptown fell at the same time, covered by the dark fog. If not for Master Haydn's timely return to seal the entire palace, then all of Avalon would fall under the power of Leviathan.
”Her Majesty is dead, and the princess is missing. All our preparations have gone to the dogs because of Maxwell's betrayal. The war between Anglo and the catastrophe has yet to begin, but we have already failed. ”
The dead silence lasted for a long time until Ye Qingxuan spoke in a hoarse voice, ”It is absolutely impossible!”
Lancelot only smiled indifferently. He lifted the teacup, did not explain further and just said, ”If you don't believe it, open the window and take a look for yourself.”
Ye Qingxuan got up, and after hesitating for a long time, he pushed the sealed shutters open. In an instant, the whistling wind gushed into the dining room, bringing a faint whine of sorrow with it.
In the biting cold wind, Ye Qingxuan raised his head and looked up at the direction of the uptown. In the seal of the enchantment of Avalon, the abyss-like darkness that engulfed everything finally revealed its tracks, dancing like a living thing.
As dawn arrived, the city did not usher in the morning sun but remained in a deep slumber in the illusion-like singing. Somber tolls of bells sounded from the depths of the darkness, booming and reverberating in the skies of the city, as if the behemoth in the sea was laughing.
Leviathan would eventually arrive.