The Evil Emperor’s Fragile Heart - Chapter 268

Head Sage Yue turned up in the morning and personally escorted Raven and Mana to breakfast, much to the shock and surprise of the people of the Pearl Kingdom.

As they walked, Head Sage Yue seemed to want to say something to Raven, but kept hesitating. Finally, Raven could take it no more and asked him bluntly, “Is there something that you would like to say to me?”

Head Sage Yue sighed and nodded. “Once we dethrone Cousin Min, we will have to choose a new successor to the throne,” he said. “In the previous generation, no one was chosen, so my father put Cousin Min on the throne – that is a power accorded to the Head Sage of the Moon Temple, that if the ancestral spirits don’t choose a monarch, then the Head Sage of the Moon Temple is required to put someone on the throne until the next generation comes along. This is also the reason why I can dethrone Cousin Min – he was not chosen as a monarch by the ancestral spirits, but rather, the Head Sage of the Moon Temple, and as the Head Sage myself, I have the requisite authority to dethrone him in case of misconduct.”

Mana and Raven listened with full attention.

“However,” Head Sage Yue continued. “If the ancestral spirits do choose a monarch, then the Head Sage of the Moon Temple has no authority over such a monarch. It has been over half a dozen generations since the ancestral spirits chose anyone, and it is the Head Sage of the Moon Temple who has been choosing the monarch in all these years. We have kept this a secret between the chosen monarch and the head sages of the Moon Temple – otherwise there would be chaos and many contenders to the throne would appear and cause trouble for everyone.”

Raven brightened. Did that mean that the ancestral spirits had been silent for many, many years now? Six generations would mean a very long time, after all. And if that was the case, then there was no need for him to worry about anything. All he needed to do was to convince this cheap biological father of his that he was not to be put on the throne of the Pearl Kingdom under any circumstances whatsoever.

Head Sage Yue didn’t notice Raven’s expression, but Mana did. She smiled a little as well and slipped her hand into Raven’s. How could there be such a good thing, though? Where Raven was concerned, didn’t exceptions turn up from nowhere all over the place? What were the chances that the ancestral spirits, which had been sleeping for six generations, would suddenly wake up and cast their eyes on Raven? She hoped that it wouldn’t happen, but was that something she would be able to control? Still, once could hope. If the ancestral spirits really didn’t choose anyone, then they could convince Head Sage Yue to pick anyone he wanted other than Raven. There were so many random kids in the royal family of the Pearl Kingdom after all – there was no dearth of seedlings! Mana had no objections as long as they left her Raven alone, and in the best case scenario, Head Sage Yue would actually choose someone who would cooperate with them and help make the Pearl Kingdom better.

Of course, that entirely depended on the whims and fancies of the ancestral spirits, Mana thought glumly.

Head Sage Yue cleared his throat awkwardly, seeing that both the children were lost in their own thoughts.

“There is a process to be followed, though,” he said, when both Mana and Raven turned their attention back to him. “All the children with the royal blood of the Pearl Kingdom, no matter how dilute, are to attend a ceremony for ancestral spirits held at the Moon Temple, and that is where the ancestral spirits choose the next monarch. If they don’t, then the Head Sage of the Moon Temple chooses the monarch. The process for choosing the next in line for the Head Sage of the Moon Temple is also very similar, except that the heir is chosen from amongst the disciples of the Moon Temple. I was chosen to succeed my father when I was five years old by the Moon Deity, and my successor has not been chosen yet, even though we hold the ritual every year.”

Head Sage Yue patted Raven’s hair with a gentle hand. “Raven, I am very sorry about this, but as my son, you will have to attend the ceremony for the ancestral spirits to choose the next monarch,” he murmured.

Raven looked up at him with steady eyes. “Can’t I be disqualified?” he asked. “I have the blood of another royal family, after all, and I have been brought up in the Obsidian Kingdom.”

Head Sage Yue sighed. “The only permitted except for the throne is the chosen heir of the Head Sage of the Moon Temple, like I was, at the time of choosing the previous monarch. Since I was already chosen to be the successor of the Head Sage of the Moon Temple when I was five, I was automatically disqualified from being considered for the position of the monarch when Cousin Min was chosen – I was seven at the time,” he said. “Unlike the ancestral spirits, which have remained silent for many years, though, the Moon Deity has always been very active. But since my successor has not been chosen yet, there is no one who can be kept out from the ceremony of choosing the monarch,” he said helplessly. “I know that you want to have nothing to do with the Pearl Kingdom at a direct level, so I can promise you that if the ancestral spirits don’t choose anyone, I will pick someone else – there are a couple of decent young royals who will make adequate monarchs for the Pearl Kingdom, and who would not be blinded by greed.”

“Thank you,” Raven said gratefully.

“However,” Head Sage Yue continued. “If the ancestral spirits do choose you – then I am afraid that I won’t have the authority to revoke that decision, Raven. I can only apologise to you in advance if that happens.”

Mana stopped walking and turned to face Head Sage Yue squarely. She quickly cast a privacy barrier around the three of them.

“Father, please answer my questions honestly,” she said seriously. “You already know that Raven is the master of the Holy Sceptre of the Pearl Kingdom. In light of that, how likely is it that Raven would be chosen to be either your successor by the Moon Deity, or as the new monarch of the Pearl Kingdom by the ancestral spirits?”

Head Sage Yue sighed heavily. “That is exactly what I fear the most,” he murmured. “It is very likely that Raven would be chosen to be my successor since he is the master of the Holy Sceptre – and it is also likely that he may be chosen as the monarch of the Pearl Kingdom. The ancient master of the Holy Sceptre of the Pearl Kingdom was the only person in the history of the Pearl Kingdom who was both the Head Sage of the Moon Temple as well as the King of the Pearl Kingdom.”

Mana frowned. “Didn’t you say that your successor would be disqualified from attending the ceremony for choosing the new monarch by the ancestral spirits?” she asked.

“Yes, that rule was brought in later,” Head Sage Yue replied.

“So, if you hold the ceremony for choosing your successor first, and Raven is chosen, then you can automatically disqualify him from being considered as a candidate for the new monarch of the Pearl Kingdom?” Mana asked.

Head Sage Yue nodded. “I could,” he murmured. “In fact, I would most definitely do so, and take him out of the area where the candidates assemble. However, the ancestral spirits have their own way. Before they went dormant, there was one time they even chose a monarch from the border forests of the Pearl Kingdom and transported that person from hundreds of miles away.”

“What is the best that we can do?” Mana asked.

At the same time, Raven asked, “If I became your successor, would you force me to stay in the Pearl Kingdom all the time?”

Head Sage Yue blinked at Raven. “I don’t have the right to force you to do anything,” he murmured. “I will support you in whatever you wish to do from now on, son. That is the least I can do to make up for my stupidity and my mistakes in the past.”

Raven brightened a little. “So, if I became your heir, then I can return to the Emerald Kingdom with Mana? I would only have to visit occasionally?” he asked.

Head Sage Yue nodded. “I will give you all the books you need to read, and I will teach you the things you need to know.. I won’t hinder you, that much I can promise you, child,” he said sincerely.