Read Novel Full Chapter 583: Announcement of Return
Chapter 583: Announcement of Return
Nolan was shocked. When he turned around, he saw his sister, Elina, standing about five meters away.
"Elina? What are you doing here?" Nolan asked in surprise as he ran toward her.
Elina let out a soft sigh and hugged him tightly.
"I don’t know. For some reason, when I opened my eyes, I was already here," she replied in a trembling voice. "Luckily, I saw you. Otherwise, I don’t know what would have happened to me."
Her body was still shaking as she spoke. She was genuinely frightened.
Without warning, she had suddenly fainted and then woken up in this mysterious place.
Everything was pitch black, without a single trace of light. Just as she began to think she would never get out, she saw her brother’s back and immediately called out to him.
Thankfully, it really was her brother. A wave of relief washed over her.
Nolan let out a small chuckle and gently rubbed her back.
"It’s okay. I’m here now," he said reassuringly.
Elina gave a small nod. "Um."
Once she had completely calmed down, Elina loosened her embrace and looked around nervously.
"Actually, what happened here, brother? How did we end up here?" she asked in confusion.
Everything had happened so suddenly and strangely that she couldn’t process it.
Nolan ruffled her hair and said, "It’s a long story. I’ll tell you after we get home."
Elina hesitated for a moment but didn’t ask any further questions.
"Okay, I understand. When will you be back?"
Nolan thought for a moment before answering, "Tomorrow or the day after, I’ll return to the empire."
Elina felt relieved and nodded slightly. Just as she was about to say something, her body began to emit a white light.
Her brother’s body began to emit a white light as well.
Nolan wasn’t surprised. He smiled and said, "Looks like we’re going back."
"You’re right." Elina gave him a sweet smile.
"That’s right."
She looked up and gently caressed Nolan’s face.
"Come back safely, okay?"
Nolan touched her palm and nodded.
"Of course."
Whoosh!
Their bodies turned into white light and disappeared just like that.
...
Kling!
The sound of a bell rang in Nolan’s ears. He slowly opened his eyes and found himself lying prostrate.
As he lifted his body, he looked up and saw Kaede still dancing on stage, her expression calm.
"So, was it all just a dream?" Nolan wondered.
His gaze shifted to the statue of the Sun God behind Kaede.
"No, that’s impossible. Everything felt real. I really met that figure," he whispered, taking a deep breath.
The Sun God dance lasted ten minutes before finally coming to an end.
Kaede bowed to the people below, then stepped down from the stage.
As she walked, she deliberately—or perhaps unintentionally—glanced at Nolan with a meaningful look.
Nolan noticed it but didn’t understand what it meant.
After Kaede’s dance, the next ritual was drinking sake.
Dozens of maids in kimonos stepped out from the side of the hall, each carrying a clay teapot filled with specially prepared sake.
They poured it into the cups placed in front of everyone.
Evalyn picked up the small round cup and asked curiously, "Grandmother, what is the purpose of drinking this sake?"
When it was just the two of them, she dared to call Ayamori "grandmother," as Ayamori herself had allowed it.
Ayamori explained, "Sake symbolizes the saliva of the Sun God. In our belief, if we drink it, the Sun God’s blessings and protection will always be with us."
Upon hearing the word "saliva," Evalyn’s face turned pale.
’Saliva? Isn’t that a bit disgusting?’ she thought.
Of course, she didn’t dare to voice it aloud. It would offend Ayamori.
"I-I see," she replied with an awkward laugh.
Ayamori simply smiled. How could she fail to notice Evalyn’s thoughts?
But she understood. To outsiders, it did sound strange and unpleasant.
Meanwhile, Nolan stared at the cup in front of him with curiosity.
He lifted it and slowly rotated it. The sake inside swirled gently.
Just by looking at it, Nolan somehow recalled the Sun God’s earlier words.
"Life, death, and reincarnation are the three aspects in the formation of the universe, huh?" he whispered.
Life most likely referred to creation, death to destruction, and reincarnation to rebirth.
That meant the universe had once been created, destroyed, and created again.
He understood that much, but one thing still confused him—why had the Sun God said that to him?
Was there some kind of connection?
No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t find a clear answer.
The only way was to find the incarnation of the Goddess of Life as soon as possible and obtain the answer directly.
"All right, everyone. Now raise your cups and drink! May the Sun God bless us!" Ryuuten’s loud voice echoed from the stage.
"May the Sun God bless us!"
Everyone shouted in unison. Without hesitation, they drank the sake in one gulp.
Nolan did the same, then closed his eyes, savoring the bitter, slightly sweet, and sour taste spreading across his tongue.
"So, this is offering sake, huh?" he muttered.
Sake was a unique wine found only on the eastern continent. Of course, merchants also brought it to other regions, such as the central and western continents.
It was quite expensive—one thousand Sharn for a small bottle.
Since he had never known what it tasted like, Nolan had never tried it before.
But after tasting it just now, it wasn’t as bad as he had imagined.
Once the sake-drinking ritual ended, the other activities continued.
Nolan just sat there, doing nothing but watching. To be honest, he felt a little bored, yet his meeting with the Sun God still lingered in his mind.
Soon after, Ryuuten returned to the stage with a calm and dignified demeanor.
"The ritual is complete. Thank you all for your attendance," Ryuuten said, cupping his hands toward everyone.
"You’re welcome, Your Majesty," they replied in unison.
"I am pleased that this ritual ceremony went smoothly and without issue. There is one more thing I would like to announce—the return of my grandson, Nolan Lorian."
Ryuuten’s gaze fell on Nolan, followed by a small nod.
Understanding his intention, Nolan slowly rose and walked onto the stage.
Ryuuten patted his left shoulder and continued, "He is the son of my missing daughter—Nolan Lorian. Please greet him."
The ministers and servants immediately stood, clasped their hands, and bowed toward Nolan.
"Welcome, Your Highness Prince Nolan Lorian. May the Sun God always protect you."
Their voices echoed throughout the hall.
Seeing this, Evalyn couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.
’How extraordinary,’ she whispered.