The noon sunlight streamed through the hall's skylight, illuminating the interior.
The old, lavish building immediately brightened.
The lingering air of decay was swept away.
Even the minor damage was concealed by the sunlight.
All that remained was solemn grandeur-
Malinda knelt on one knee in the center of the sunlight as the Chief Swordswoman approached from afar, carrying a tray made of gold.
On the tray rested a seal, a badge, and a flag.
The seal was engraved in [Ei a], with Malinda's own [Spirituality] as its catalyst, giving it a unique quality.
The badge was the Dark Night Star: deep black represented the night, while a bright point represented the star-the morning star where the Lady of the Long Night was said to dwell.
The flag bore the same design as the badge, only several times larger.
Carrying these items, the Chief Swordswoman stood before Malinda.
With her solemn expression, the Chief Swordswoman's bearing immediately changed. Combined with her two-and-a-half-meter height, she was truly imposing, unforgettable at first sight.
"Through virtue and perseverance, the Kemail Family endured for three hundred years. From the campaigns of the holy age, to the cultivation of the silver age, to the glory of the pioneer age, they protected this land with their own strength, keeping their honor unsullied and their radiance everlasting!
Now-
They have undergone a rebirth!
The Kemail Family has been reborn as the Caesar Family!"
The Chief Swordswoman's words echoed through the hall.
Naturally, those words were lofty window dressing.
They could hardly state outright that the Kemail Family had perished.
Rebirth!
It had to be rebirth!
Only such a "rebirth" could preserve the noble lords' dignity.
Arthur glanced toward the corner occupied by the merchants.
Quite a few of them had longing in their eyes.
Clearly, they had