novelraw Chapter 744 412: She Is Very Strange
Chapter 744 412: She Is Very Strange
Has Sofia really died?
Roland couldn't bring himself to believe it.
At the moment he left the Land of Death, he witnessed Sofia ignite herself to activate the Absolute Domain, taking both the Nether Empress and the right side of the Nether River district with her to the grave.
This scene was one he could never forget.
But has Sofia really died?
He continued unwilling to believe.
Upon returning to the real world, without the time for a long-awaited reunion with Sif, he hurried to the Summer Palace.
As he entered the palace, he immediately heard Angelina's despairing cries, making his heart sink.
It's over.
He came to the Summer Palace to confirm Sofia's life or death, especially since several pieces of her soul-bound high-level Magic Equipment were stored here.
If she indeed died, these devices would unlock their soul-bound state, becoming ownerless objects.
Perhaps Angelina had sensed something, so she came to the palace seeking answers.
Clearly, this answer brought her despair.
Roland rushed into the palace's rear hall, seeing the heartbroken Angelina sobbing beside equipment scattered creepily on the floor.
Upon seeing Roland, Angelina seemed to clutch at her last straw of hope, springing up abruptly.
"Roland, you're here just in time, Her Majesty, she..."
Roland glanced at the scattered Magic Equipment on the floor, his heart sighed, the last hope dashed.
He wanted to comfort Angelina, but didn't know what to say.
He could only sigh, find a chair to sit, and softly said, "Sofia and the Nether Empress both perished together."
"No!" Angelina let out a heart-wrenching wail.
Her vision darkened, and she fainted.
Roland sighed inwardly, catching Angelina and placing her on the nearby bench.
Picking up the fallen Magic Equipment, his hands trembled.
Sofia held extraordinary significance in Angelina's heart.
Her life transformed due to the Empress; without the Empress's nurture and reliance, she'd rot in the remote frontier village for life.
People are not grass or wood, they have feelings.
Roland felt sad too, but he must stay strong.
Sofia was gone, but her final wish remained.
The three deserters must die; Roland's heart couldn't rest without this.
After a long wait, Angelina finally awoke from unconsciousness.
She stared blankly at the Magic Equipment on the floor, listening to Roland narrate his encounter in the Land of Death, tears already blurring her vision.
Hearing Sofia's last words, her spirits lifted slightly.
"Final wish? Her Majesty's last wish?!"
She sprang to her feet hurriedly, grabbed Roland's hand, and solemnly said, "I have a handwritten letter from Her Majesty left before she went, come with me."
Roland was pulled away from the Summer Palace, heading to Angelina's residence.
The handwritten letter was locked in a safe; Angelina, trembling slightly, fumbled with the key and opened the safe.
Sofia's handwritten note, indeed, was a will.
She recounted Angelina's growth history in lengthy passages, pleased by her progress and regretting her inability to reach the pinnacle.
But finally, Sofia requested Angelina to support Roland as the Empire's new emperor.
"Only Roland can lead everyone to overcome the final trial. Trust him, support him!"
Angelina's expression was somewhat complex.
She hadn't expected the Empress to want Roland to inherit as the Empire's emperor, but orders must be obeyed, she took deep breaths, trying to adjust her emotions.
"Roland, this is Her Majesty's wish, you..."
"I respect her testament; I vow to stand alongside the Empire until the ultimate victory."
"I will fully support you; I'll prepare for the coronation ceremony."
Angelina knelt on one knee, holding Roland's hand, softly murmuring, "Your Majesty, will you avenge the Late Emperor?"
"I swear by life and soul, yes."
Roland extended his right hand, accepting Angelina's allegiance, while making a solemn vow to Sofia and the Empire.
It sounded rather absurd, but it was indeed the best arrangement.
Judging by closeness, Sofia wished Angelina would inherit, but she couldn't do so.
Roland had long served as the Cardinal Minister, being the most powerful minister in the Empire, and the hope of the entire plane through the ultimate resurgence.
The Rurik People desired a place in the new era; they must cling tightly to Roland.
If Sofia were alive, these concerns were unnecessary, but she had died.
She even contemplated this outcome when heading to the Land of Death.
If Angelina became emperor, Roland would certainly look after her out of respect for Sofia but only limited to care, with priority lower than Sussex, Jin Yuan, or even the New Magic Empire.
Sofia's character would never accept anything other than champion.
She wished the Vladimir Empire held significant weight in Roland's heart, at least as one of the most important aspects.
Thus she entrusted the whole Empire to Roland with her final kinship.
This was not a calculation but an open gesture.
Roland did not hesitate at all to accept Sofia's arrangement.
Although they were once enemies, and he was forced to work for Sofia many years, he couldn't help but bear some grudges, yet all of this was past.
He owed Sofia greatly.
He must achieve two things.
Win the ultimate resurgence war, annihilate all three goddesses, reclaim the energy taken to Theia Plane.
The second task was to awaken anew after the plane's restart, finding a way to bring Sofia back.
Though she died, there was still a chance to return.
Roland had no time for sadness; he must prepare for battle.
...
Has Sofia truly died?
Even more difficult to accept than Angelina was Tiya.
In recent years, though Tiya didn't receive the favor of the Light Dominator, she unexpectedly became a private favorite of the Void Dominator, raising her status in the Divine Domain significantly.