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Thread: Holy Templar Sanctum (Aincrad)

  1. #421
    Ah it seemed that Charles also hadn't encountered anyone who would talk about the completion of a Holy Grail war. That was strange, Angelica gave a minor frown when thinking about it, "Jeanne had nothing but stories to tell of the Queen Artoria Pendragon fighting in her Holy Grail war, it is weird the men don't talk about them," she said seeming to find it odd. But it wasn't just odd. It was naïve. They didn't even get the chance to properly realize this even after the mention of one of their ranks, Ganelon actually going on a few such expeditions. Whatever the case, both Angelica and Charles would be led away.

    "He did go on a few, but there's no time now. Good luck both of you," said Anais as she was now faced with the mental problem of figuring out the reasons people wouldn't talk about victories and not coming to good conclusions. Unlike many others, in her original life, Anais had been apart of a family that was highly involved in the government. She'd seen the fall out of the Prime Minister of her country and didn't like when people didn't talk about things to everyone because it implied an amount of secrecy she'd learned to be fearful of. Whatever the case, she supposed she'd talk to Ivy when that lass returned and take up any potential issues with her.

    At the same time, Charles took the fish from Angelica complaining about being summoned and escorted to Father An. "Listen here Chuck, you don't get to complain to me about being summoned. I am always summoned and always escorted. I have no sympathy." claimed Angelica that lightly haughty attitude of hers already making its return. Still she didn't look any less annoyed by the entirety of the situation until of course they made their way to the actual Ruby Palace and saw what was left of Father An. Her eyes widened at the sight. The man a few days ago said he suffered a fall, and now it simply looked like he was falling apart. She was aghast, "Why didn't you get someone to heal you after that fall the other day?" she was genuinely worried. Regardless of her other inquiries and the like she was a decent human being and though she didn't see eye to eye with her father, she didn't want to see him come to harm.

  2. #422
    As heavily as Father An breathed, the wheeze of every individual inhale could be heard from the moment one stepped into the throne room. It was a shocking sight to see, especially by Charlemagne who'd seen him just earlier this same day. "Wh─... What happened?!" He couldn't stop the question from escaping him. The Father hadn't been in the best condition a few hours before, but it looked as if he'd been melted. There were lesions on his face, and a dullness to his one visible, albeit sunken eye.

    The immediate concern of Angelica and Charlemagne was noted. It took a few moments for the Father to manage words. "... You needn't worry for me. The word of God is spreading, and that is all that matters, my children," the elderly male stated. There was no healing in this world that could help him. In all actuality, there was no amount of healing in any world or reality that could save him now. He had another plan, though.

    "I will be well. The light of God will consume me, and I will be better for it. First... our concern must be the future. Angelica, my daughter. Forgive this old man for not coming to you directly. I'm afraid I've fallen under the weather," he joked, coughing in the wake of the statement. Always quick to address the more important matters, he moved on rather quickly. "Days ago, we spoke. Have you decided?"

  3. #423
    Both Charles and Angelica seemed to be exceedingly shocked by the visage currently being shown by Father An. The man literally looked like he had a single foot in the grave and it'd been dangling there for the last 40 decades. Whatever the case, even though it seemed to pain him to breathe and speak he seemed content to do so. All the while Angelica seemed to have a pained expression which played across her face. Whether or not she disliked her father from moment to moment, she wouldn't have wished what looked to be active decay upon enemies much less family.

    First thing was first, the claim that he would be enveloped by the light of god and be better for it. That sounded like he thought he wasn't long for his current life. Well, people died all the time, that wasn't so much a big deal, when he'd come back he'd likely still mostly be himself so perhaps he simply planned to pass along the torch so to speak before his current end was near. What was more he came with something of a joking apology about not coming to visit the lass. She managed to look a bit shocked. She was surprised he even managed to remember that she'd spoken about him visiting her, and used his current condition to excuse himself and it was a rather potent excuse. "Well, it wasn't like I was worried about the visit or anything. You can take your time, it isn't like my floor is going anywhere..." she managed while twirling one of those smaller curls like a child caught between her moods. Of course, there was the reason the pair had actually been summoned.

    And that had to do with the conversation Father An had with Angelica in the days prior to this one. He wanted to know if she'd decided. "I was decided then and I haven't changed my mind," she said in a manner which was markedly softer than she'd spoken to him before. After all, he seemed to be having quite a struggle already, how could she be anything but nice to her ailing father? She wasn't a monster.

  4. #424
    Whatever happened with Father An, it had to be something beyond comprehension. It was virtually impossible for someone to decay so much in a few hours, unless they were cursed by some strange method. One could assume the Father hadn't been anywhere outside of Aincrad, and Charlemagne hadn't sensed any demonic or evil presence nearby. Maybe he had been around for so very long, his body was no longer able to sustain itself even with mana aiding the process? That was about the most sense Charlemagne could make of this situation, but An himself insisted that it was nothing to worry about.

    Angelica claimed she wasn't worried about the visit, and that An could take his time because Floor 99 wasn't going anywhere. To that, he laughed, weak as it was. "Children. Always so foolish. Spare this old man your ego, child. I will see your creations with my own eyes soon enough." The promise of Father An seemed very certain. Incapable as he was now, he was so sure he'd look upon Angelica's creations eventually─ even though he seemed to have a foot and a half in the grave.

    A smile crossed the decrepit old man's face when Angelica reiterated her certainty. She'd take Charlemagne as her bridegroom, establishing him as the Holy Emperor. "Then it's settled. Carolus Magnus, you will be Holy Emperor, the right hand of our Lord. The coronation will be tomorrow morning," he stated. Charlemagne was standing there, fish bag in hand, baffled by so many things─ the least of which was a lack of request for his own opinion. Well... he had all but decided to seek the marriage, but the rest was almost another matter entirely. "If I'm being honest, I'm likely to hand it off to someone more suitable at my earliest convenience. I'm not sure that's what God wants."

    Oh? Handing off the title of Holy Emperor when one could first do so? The notion was so selfless, so noble that very few humans would ever think to do it. Mortals were always such selfish creatures, it was so refreshing to meet one willing to serve a greater purpose than themselves. "Haah... Rest assured, child. That is exactly what God expects of you," the Father assured. "I have only just sent you and your people to Floor 98, but I'm sure the two of you would be more comfortable getting to know one another better. Haah. That's what the kids want of their betrotheds nowadays, isn't it? Take my blessing, and... spend the rest of this time on Floor 99. I think... you two might be better for the bonding experience."

  5. #425
    That weak little laugh was somehow both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Father An had been a pretty inattentive parent for the duration of Angelica's life, but as he tried to muster his normal type of bravado in response to her contrary outburst she managed filial piety. A love and respect specifically reserved for someone who was parental in nature. "Hmph, I said it was fine," she mumbled, seeming to miss the connective mention of creation. This man was in a strange way. She definitely should have been able to tell if he'd been cursed and to her he seemed to be aging rapidly. As far as her new understanding was concerned he also wasn't experiencing anything that could be considered contradictory to what he deserved so maybe this was simply what happened when ones lifespan outgrew their mana.

    Moving on from that point, with Angelica confirming her desire to marry Charles, her father seemed content to make the necessary declarations. Charles would be her husband, but even when being conferred such an honor he managed to claim he would give away the title to the most suited individual. According to Father An, god expected no less of him, which implied to someone like Angelica that Charles was the kind of person who wouldn't rest on simply title but instead leave governing of the kingdom to those most suited to it. Which was fair enough... by her own approximation. According to An, Charles coronation would be the next morning.

    He also claimed that Charles and Angelica should spend some time together getting better acquainted on Angelica's own floor. How strange, her father didn't seem the type to allow such a thing, but Angelica wouldn't exactly argue against something she wanted. It wasn't like she wished to part with Charles after spending all morning with him. "I think that seems kind of soon, but I don't really mind. Seriously though, get some rest and have someone tend your wounds..." Angelica said with a genuine amount of care and concern for her father.

  6. #426
    "... Eh?" Of all the things to happen after his weird experiences of the day, Charlemagne was expected to spend the night on Angelica's floor? That settled it. Something was wrong with everyone who naturally belonged to this world. Basically, he was a worker. His boss had just decided he'd be marrying his daughter off to Charlemagne in the morning, and stranger still, he essentially instructed that they spend the night together beforehand. In Father An's eyes, these two hadn't even gotten very familiar. Why was it a good idea to send them off together?

    Of course, it was also very soon; Angelica wasn't the only one with an opinion like that. What Charlemagne considered reasonable was a long-term phase of dating, a lasting engagement, then a marriage, and then living together. This was too much even for his original world's modern expectations, but... he couldn't say no to an old man who was obviously dying, who'd also done nothing but help him along his way for a thousand years. He'd been told to take the Holy Father's blessing, which always meant one thing. Charlemagne stepped up to the throne, taking a knee and taking An's hand into his own. "Good. You'll make a fine Holy Emperor. Take care of that girl. She's an especially fiery one; something I'm sure she gets from her mother," the Father joked further. Charlemagne nodded before rising and descending from the throne.

    Turpin was awaiting the completion of Father An's business with these two, so whenever they were prepared, he was ready to escort. They'd both be headed to Floor 99 it seemed, so it would be his pleasure to inform the others on Floor 98 of Charlemagne's absence. Along the way, he'd also be ready to clear up a misconception on Angelica's part. "The Father has no wounds. He's been tended to already," the Archbishop claimed.

  7. #427
    The pair seemed to hear out what the Father had to say as he obviously approached death's door at a pace most would call urgent. Regardless, Charles approached paid his respects and then moved away soon after hearing whatever thing that Father An had to say in relation to Angelica. And that would be all. The man would be left to continue rotting away as the pair both seemed stunned and headed back towards their respective floor. Archbishop Turpin would take care of alerting the others to why Charles would be gone for now, and what was more had something to say about Father An's state. He claimed the man had no injuries. "That seems weird, though..." Angelica paused. She looked upon Father An and not thought anything foul of his current decaying state. It was surprising to witness and maybe even seemed a bit random, but her newly developing powers didn't say anything was amiss. "It's not like I have any idea how old he is maybe older human life is just truly fragile," she concluded.

    Regardless in her personal opinion it seemed almost wrong to bring up anything related to the past while apparently watching the man age at rapid pace. At this point she figured it might be better to simply let Charles make all the necessary changes after her father was resting peacefully. Whatever the case when they split with Turpin they'd be on floor 99 and Angelica would be reaching out for her fish. "Hm, I guess I'll be making this one's habitat today," she mused looking at the little fish. If her Father really did plan to see her creations she'd make sure they were good at least.

  8. #428
    En route to Floor 99, some disturbing news was shared. Turpin insisted that nothing was amiss with Father An, at least in terms of injury. Charlemagne knew Turpin could have healed any ailment, curse or wound, so his word was always believable. What could the cause have been? "You're curious?" the Archbishop asked while stepping up to the teleport gate. The rest, he'd say once the bridge to the Sapphire Palace was ahead of them. "The Father is old. Our checks say that's all there is to it. Nothing ails him, and there is no explanation as to why it all happened so suddenly. He woke from a nap only an hour ago, and he immediately began rapidly advancing in years. The Bishops can't make sense of it," he explained.

    What a strange situation. As Father An himself claimed though, he'd soon be enveloped in the light of God. Whether that meant he'd be healed or taken from this world, or even reincarnated, Charlemagne couldn't tell. He firmly believed all would be well in the end regardless. Alas, he couldn't bring himself to address the matters they'd been looking into. As Angelica reclaimed her fish, he sighed. "I couldn't even say a thing about the investigation. Ugh, this is going to become a bigger problem for me, isn't it?" he asked the universe as a whole. Angelica wasn't the only one entertaining the idea that Charlemagne himself would have to make changes. Father An had the look of a man who shouldn't even be alive here and now. Would he even make it to the coronation, or even the wedding ceremony? It seemed unlikely. . .

  9. #429
    Still there were more interesting things to learn yet. After reaching the Sapphire Palace bridge, they were informed by Turpin as a matter of their shared curiosity that the Father was simply old. He'd apparently woken from a nap and simply aged rapidly. None of the Bishops could find anything wrong with him. He wasn't cursed, or ailing in any way, simply aging rapidly all at once. One couldn't really know why such a thing would occur now rather than at some other point in time. But the actual mechanical issue of aging wasn't something any of the people in this world really understood. "It doesn't really make sense for it to start randomly happening after more than a thousand years of him being seemingly in perfect health," said Angelica. "But I suppose there could be a pretty normal explanation for it," she said having given it a bit more thought.

    Moving on, it seemed that Charles had quite an issue. He also hadn't thought to bring up the potential issues that they'd been looking into. "I don't think it will become a bigger problem for you. You do want to fix it, and it will be within your power to do so," she said carefully. "In truth I think it is a bit unnecessary to burden Father when he already looks as if the whole of the world as collapsed atop him," she said. Ah, she probably should have phrased that differently, but still her point stood. Righting the wrongs of the previous generation was something for them to do, her mother had all but said that, so she had no issue taking it into her own hands eventually. Speaking of her own hands, she was now holding onto that adorable little fish of hers, and she was happy to have it again. She'd take great care in making sure it had a fun place to live, while she thought over all of the information for the day.

  10. #430
    "No, it doesn't. I literally saw him right before I saw you today, and he looked no different than he did thirty years ago," Charlemagne said, knowing Father An never seemed to age a day in all the time he'd known the man. There had to be some reasonable explanation for what was going on, but... if the Father claimed it was nothing to worry about, he'd take the decrepit old man at his word. "Well, if it's that time... hopefully he's done all he wants in this life. It's rare for anyone to wither away of old age here," he stated in the most delicate way he could manage.

    Luckily, this world had different rules for death and the like. Watching anyone pass away was always sad, but having concrete evidence of life after death was always refreshing. "You know... in the world we come from, nobody really knows if there's life after it all. People die thinking that's the end of it, and then... never mind." In the midst of a deep clause, Charlemagne shook his head. What did he think he was about to do? Give a eulogy for a man still hanging on? As randomly as Father An aged to near-death, he could possibly spring back to life the next day. He could spare the man's daughter of any unnecessary testimonies. Besides, they had many other things to think about. "I guess I wouldn't mind having to deal with it myself, if that's how it has to be. It'd be difficult... A lot of people would need proof, but we are really close to the answers."

    At this point, the trio would reach the end of the bridge. Archbishop Turpin stopped to bow at the other two. "I think this is as far as I go. Though it was a pleasure escorting you both, I have to meet with the others. Ganelon was especially antsy about being clued-in on everything, so I suppose I'll be getting my vocal exercises for the year done today."

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