CHAPTER 1530: CHAPTER 776: ANKA’S TRIAL (PART 3)

As long as he can get Anka’s approval, they can naturally swear allegiance to him, handing over the position of Lord of Battle Valley to him, because they were originally guardians of Anka’s legacy, managing Battle Valley on its behalf.

Even if he doesn’t inherit Anka’s legacy, with his continuous growth and development in Battle Valley, he would eventually force Lord Ilmet to relinquish the title of Lord of Battle Valley. However, it would not be as straightforward as now, and the future path for Lord Ilmet and others would be unpredictable.

Inheriting Anka’s legacy has its pros and cons.

The benefits need no further elaboration; besides the aforementioned possibilities, one could also gain more support from the Valley People, as centuries-old legends are deeply rooted in people’s hearts, especially among those young individuals who grew up hearing these stories and still harbor fantasies.

The drawback, however, is that it conflicts with Gaven’s original strategy of high walls, amassing grain, and delaying kingship, making him more feared.

But then again, this drawback doesn’t seem particularly significant; as long as he develops and grows in the Valley, whether he shows ambitions in this regard or not, he will be targeted due to conflicting interests.

"Very well, then face everything with this determination." Regina’s voice became ethereal and vague, and before Gaven knew it, her figure had already disappeared from in front of him.

He looked around, and mist rose all around; not only had Regina disappeared, but Anka Estate was also nowhere to be seen.

Illusion?

Or had he already entered the Spirit World?

Gaven remained calm and unruffled, first scanning his own state to see if any of his abilities were restricted.

What is most troublesome about these special environments isn’t their nature itself, but how they often merge with various sealing spells, putting individuals in extremely disadvantageous positions.

For instance, in the Spirit World, one’s casting ability might be sealed while facing numerous Spiritual Bodies, leaving only swords and blades to fight, a headache for anyone, especially spellcasters.

Similarly, illusions directly acting on your soul automatically block all your equipment, leaving only your Special Ability and casting ability effective.

Gaven now feared not the first, but the second, as eighty percent of his power resided in his equipment.

After completing his check, Gaven was even more confident, as his state was completely intact.

It stood to reason, considering Regina’s words suggested that what he was about to face was clearly a test from Anka.

This test seemingly sought to reveal a person’s true nature and strength; even without offering the relative assistance, it would not deliberately provide hurdles.

There were also safeguards on safety; if the test failed, at worst he would just not receive Anka’s legacy, with no danger to his life.

With confidence in his heart, Gaven walked forward unhurriedly.

In this illusory-like environment with no discernible landmarks, it mattered not which direction he headed, for reaching the desired conditions would automatically trigger a response.

Sure enough, after merely a few dozen steps, a grand door appeared before him.

This door was familiar to him; it was the exquisite solid wood door of the Anka Estate he had seen before, showing no sign of age despite over four centuries having passed.

Gaven once again confirmed his status, took a deep breath, and slowly pushed open the solid wood door before him—this was a multiple-choice question with only one option, and he could only follow the preset path.

The solid wood door proved lighter than expected, opening with minimal effort.

"The Lord has arrived."

"The Shield Festival is officially underway."

"Let us raise our glasses to our shared Lord, our shared King. May all gods protect him, grant him long life, and may they bless our Valley, allowing us to prosper and thrive, always united as we are today."

"Anka!"

"Anka!!"

"Anka!!!"

The moment Gaven stepped through the door, he was met with a thunderous cheer.

Despite being prepared for battle, he found himself momentarily frozen in place, though his control was solid enough to prevent his combat capabilities from leaking out in shock.

The only available action was inaction, to remain unchanged amidst changing circumstances, observing his surroundings without leaving a trace.

The mist had completely vanished, and the door Gaven had pushed through led not into the Lord’s Mansion, but outside to the courtyard of Anka Estate.

This courtyard was no longer luxurious, yet lacked any sign of human presence.

Quite the contrary, Gaven now stood amidst a grand banquet, with food and drink placed on lavish tables, arrayed outdoors in the courtyard, spanning multiple rows, more than a dozen tables filled, sandalwood and food fragrances wafting together.

The massive courtyard was teeming with people: those in luxurious garb from affluent classes, as well as plainly dressed commoners; there were humans, as well as Demi-Humans, Half-Elves, Elves, Dwarves, and even a muddle of Fae Race aura among them.

No matter the wealth or race, all faces bore the most genuine, most satisfied smiles; their gaze upon him made Gaven feel as if he stood among the Conqueror Army, revered yet loved.

This was role-playing.

Such a well-traveled person as Gaven instantly understood what was occurring.

Even without needing to look in a mirror, he knew the appearance he was sporting was not his own, but that of the Cloak King Anka.

This was using colossal illusion to recreate the scene from more than four centuries ago.

If Gaven hadn’t guessed wrong, this feast was likely the Shield Festival where the Cloak King Anka was assassinated.

No matter how cleverly designed a trial may be, it would not be a simple matter of questions and answers where deception could occur; only those instinctual decisions made under tense conditions truly reveal one’s heart, and nothing could generate tension more easily than a thrilling fight.

The trial had not yet begun, but it seemed as if Gaven had already figured out the entire scheme.

Seeing the momentary pause in the feast as all eyes turned to him, Gaven wisely picked up a glass of wine from a nearby waiter’s tray and loudly declared, "For the Valley."

"For the Valley." Immediately, everyone echoed jubilantly.