Chapter 194: Magical Barrier

Eileen couldn't help but feel a bit impatient. Although a king's status is exceedingly high, making a Holy Light envoy wait is considered disrespectful behavior.

Royal and divine powers are mutually dependent, but their conflicts in governance are apparent. Divine power wants every king to bow down like a sheep, while royal power hopes that divine power only prays and does not interfere in other matters. Despite their differences, the surface etiquette must still be maintained. Ignoring a Holy Light envoy here is blatantly disrespectful to the Holy Light.

In fact, the Lion King's disrespect didn't stop there. The most disrespectful part was letting a mistress, a whore, a venomous woman openly live in her sister's palace.

The favor Phoenix Lady enjoys now should have belonged entirely to her sister—just thinking about this filled Eileen's eyes with hatred.

At that moment, a voice came from behind: "Everyone loves to stare at the throne…"

"Who's there?"

Eileen's hands suddenly conjured two magical electric spheres, crackling with electricity, illuminating the entire palace.

A tired-looking man walked out from a side door of the palace, his voice hoarse, "Put away your magic, envoy. You are no match for me."

Though his tone was light, it carried an implicit threat that made Eileen feel a wave of dizziness. She immediately realized who it was—Lion King!

"Your Majesty, I apologize."

While retracting the electric spheres, Eileen held her breath and bowed.

The Lion King wasn't exaggerating. She indeed was no match for him. In his prime, even the president of Wings of Dawn would be wary of him. Although the Lion King never attempted the second test of the Demon Heart to maintain the stability of his reign and thus never became a Legendary Hero, no one dared to underestimate his strength.

"Rise." The Lion King walked towards his throne with composure.

As he passed by Eileen, she felt her bowed body being lifted by a force of pure Battle Qi and energy. She gasped in admiration, "Your Majesty, your strength is truly unfathomable."

"What of it?"

The Lion King walked to the golden throne but didn't sit down. Instead, he murmured, "What does it matter if you're a king? What does it matter if your strength is unfathomable? Fate, that bitch, mocks you whether you're a king or a herdsman."

Eileen was unsettled by the Lion King's pessimism and didn't know how to comfort him. However, she was more interested in understanding the real reason behind her sudden summons than comforting a self-pitying king.

"The Holy Light will relieve Your Majesty's worries. If there is anything I can do for Your Majesty, please command me."

It was a member's duty of the Holy Light Sisterhood to accept confessions, and if she could accept the confession of a king, Eileen's status would rise even higher.

The Lion King ignored her words, placing his hand on the back of the golden throne and gazing at it in a daze, "People see gold, power, and authority, but no one knows this chair is cold and hard. Sitting on it feels like sitting on needles."

Eileen seized the opportunity to study the man before her. She had seen the Lion King many times, but always at formal occasions and from a distance. She remembered the Lion King as a dignified man with clear features, walking briskly with an aura of a storm, exuding heroic spirit, a figure that could make young girls admire him—

But now, he was slightly hunched, wearing something like a nightgown, his face tired, his hair and beard disheveled, moving sluggishly like an old man prematurely entering old age—the night's theft had undoubtedly aged him by a hundred years.

"Your Majesty…"

This man had been her sister's greatest love, and after her sister's death, he never forgot her, keeping the queen's throne empty—he did many things that other men couldn't. Thinking of this, Eileen felt a pang of bitterness and her resentment towards the Lion King lessened.

Just as she was about to speak again, she heard the sound of boots on marble from the other side of the palace and immediately fell silent.

The Lion Guard approached the Lion King and Eileen, bowing deeply, his armor clanking loudly.

"Your Majesty, Phoenix Lady requests an audience. She says she was frightened on the way…"

The Lion King raised his hand, his voice low and deep, "I said, apart from the envoy, I will see no one. If this order is unclear, then let me tell you directly—I won't see Kiana. Is that clear now?"

It was as if in an instant, the feared Lion King regained his majesty.

The Lion Guard hesitated, then clicked his heels and responded, "Yes, Your Majesty," before quickly turning to leave.

Eileen was secretly pleased but said nothing. She knew the Lion King wasn't neglecting Phoenix Lady but that the matter they were about to discuss was too important for even her to hear.

After the Lion Guard left, the Lion King suddenly seemed to age again. He held onto the golden throne and slowly sat on the marble steps. "Let's continue our previous conversation, Holy Light envoy—"

"Eileen, you may call me Eileen."

Eileen said to the Lion King, "In fact, before giving my whole self to the Holy Light, I was also Your Majesty's subject."

"Oh?"

The Lion King raised his eyes slightly, "You're from Stonerock? Your family?"

A family name almost slipped out, but Eileen held back. "Just an obscure little family, not worth Your Majesty's concern. Besides, I am now a member of the Holy Light Sisterhood. By our rules, all ties to my family have been severed."

The Lion King nodded, "Earlier, I saw you gazing at the throne, but I noticed you don't seem to care about wealth, power, or authority. So what do you pursue?"

Eileen felt uneasy. She knew something major had happened tonight, but the Lion King was avoiding the topic, instead asking about her unimportant thoughts. What was he hiding?

She steadied herself and smiled, "I was just thinking about the Holy Light."

"I see."

The Lion King smiled weakly, "The Holy Light can save everything, including a king's desire for the throne and the fear of losing it."

"Your tone suggests you don't believe that."

Eileen bit her lip, feeling she had given the wrong answer—the Lion King wasn't looking for the Holy Light. But what else could it be?

Indeed, the Lion King shook his head, "Whether I believe it doesn't matter. Whether you believe it doesn't matter. As long as we can make others believe, that's enough."

Eileen opened her mouth but found herself speechless. She paused for a long time, then cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, did you summon me just to tell me this? Let's lay our cards on the table."

The Lion King replied in a deep, hoarse voice, "That's a good idea, but we must ensure no one can hear our conversation."

"No problem."

Eileen chanted a spell, a flash of white light at her feet, and a transparent barrier immediately enveloped her and the Lion King.

"This is a magical barrier, originally used to imprison enemies, making them deaf and blind. I modified it to prevent eavesdropping. Inside, no one outside can hear us. Your Majesty can speak freely."

The Lion King coughed lightly, his voice echoing as a hum against the barrier. He nodded in satisfaction, staring at Eileen with lion-like eyes, "I'm looking for someone I can trust."

Eileen responded, "Your Majesty has many trustworthy people around you."

"But they believe in the Holy Light." The Lion King said lightly.

Eileen was genuinely startled but realized the conversation was getting serious. She lowered her voice, "Your Majesty, are you accusing a Holy Light envoy of not believing in the Holy Light? Or are you looking for a friend who can command under the guise of the Holy Light?"

"I need a trustworthy friend."

The Lion King stared at Eileen, enunciating each word, "A friend who dares to deceive the throne, Your Excellency."

Eileen instinctively took a few steps back, trying to calm her racing heart. She had expected a serious discussion but hadn't anticipated it involving the Holy Light Sisterhood.

"What exactly… happened?"

"If I tell you, you'll be involved in it." The Lion King warned.

"Isn't Your Majesty already involved?"

Eileen mustered her courage, meeting his lion eyes, "Please speak. Eileen is willing to help. Even if I can't, once this barrier is removed, I will act as if nothing happened."

"I lost something." The Lion King said cryptically.

"I know."

Eileen replied seriously, "I saw almost all private armed groups searching for the thief—but what does this have to do with the Holy Light Sisterhood?"

"That item also belongs to your Holy Light Sisterhood." The Lion King said.

"A Holy Light artifact?"

Eileen thought if a Holy Light artifact was lost, the tournament might be canceled at most. There was no need to deceive the throne. She said, "The throne, Your Excellency, wouldn't blame you for an outdated artifact."

"No—it's much more important than a Holy Light artifact." The Lion King still didn't say the word.

Eileen first frowned in confusion, then exclaimed, "The demon skull! The thief stole the demon skull!?"

She had heard the story of the Dark Demon Lord. Just thinking of the legend of a demon capable of demonizing even a Holy Light envoy made her shiver. She wiped the sweat off her forehead with her Holy Light robe sleeve, forgetting all decorum, "Who? Who is so bold?"

A hint of killing intent appeared on the Lion King's tired face. "If I knew who, I would tear them to pieces!"

Eileen sensed there was more to the story. She hurriedly asked, "Your Majesty, besides the demon skull, did you lose something else?"