Hate me, Miss Witch!

The Gray-Silver Witch from the White Tower might also be a Throne, but she was an outsider. Even if she was somewhat friendly towards the Empire due to Shiayar, she couldn't ultimately be considered a power of the Empire itself. Only if Isadella herself broke through to the Throne could the currently storm-tossed Empire truly be said to have stabilized. However, no matter what efforts she made, the final restraint on the Sacred Sword could never be truly unlocked, preventing her from taking the final step. But at this moment, Isadella distinctly felt the Sacred Sword's restraint waver.

She calmed her mind and poured her spiritual power into the Soul Pact with the Sacred Sword. Immediately after, Isadella felt her consciousness enveloped by an ancient and mysterious force. The next instant, an ancient river emerged beside her.

Does this involve the Law of Time?

Isadella was slightly startled, but she did not resist. Instead, she allowed the vast, mysterious essence of the Sacred Sword to carry her forward in the illusory river, drifting erratically.

After a long while, the illusory river gradually faded. What appeared before her eyes was a brand new world. She felt she had entered an entirely new realm, not belonging to the current spacetime, yet it was incredibly real and clear, as if it were another plane altogether.

Isadella closed her eyes slightly, sensing the passage of time around her. After a long while, she reopened her eyes, her crimson eyes twinkling with divine light.

"The rings of time show that this is nearly a thousand years in the past."

"This is the end of the Ancient Era, the time before the Fresta Empire's founding."

It's not surprising that a stars-forged weapon, in its complete form with all thirteen restraints unlocked, possesses the power to touch or even rewrite Space Law.

But... why did the Sacred Sword suddenly unlock its final restraint and bring me to such a peculiar world?

Come to think of it, the Sacred Sword last resurfaced during the chaotic times a millennium ago...

Could the test of this final restraint be for me to personally experience the path trodden by its previous master, the former emperor?

To see if I can perform better than the former emperor at the end of the calamitous Ancient Era?

Isadella's thoughts raced, and she quickly made a judgment. If an ordinary person heard about the test represented by the final restraint of the Sacred Sword, they would surely feel daunted.

The founder of the Fresta Empire—

The Knight King.

He was a figure straight from legend. The hero who ended the darkest of eras, the savior bathed in glory. The undefeated war god, the symbol of knightly radiance and virtue. His martial achievements were unparalleled, his glory unmatched, transcending ages, forever immortal. Regarding prestige and fame on the current Western Continent, only Rhine, the Golden King who initiated the Holy Calendar, was worthy of comparison. He was a myth that made countless Legendary figures feel inferior.

Yet, Isadella remained calm, allowing the Sacred Sword's vast, mysterious power to gradually immerse her consciousness into this world.

Indeed.

It is said that in the Empire's nearly thousand-year history, I am the one closest to the former emperor.

That I am the sovereign of revival who has the chance to restore the Empire and reclaim its past glory.

Then let me see what caliber of King I truly am.

...

When Isadella opened her eyes again, she felt that the Sacred Sword, with its immense and mysterious power, had vanished. In its place were fleeting images that passed before her eyes. These were fragments of memories. The shouts of soldiers in battle, soaring columns of blood-red light, clashing swords and long spears, the neighing of warhorses. And the searing radiance of magic and Pet Beast skills flaring to life.

This was the land known as Escarnia. Its former king had been overthrown by his brother, Vortigern, in league with Abyss Demons. Thus, the once peaceful and tranquil Escarnia was instantly transformed into a vast, disaster-stricken land. Unruly Abyss Demons roamed the land, slaughtering lives and feeding on human flesh and blood.

The city known as Millennium Castle was established, nestled deep within a silent forest. The arrival of the Blood Tribe also drew the attention of the Dawn Church. At that time, the Dawn Church had already gained prominence on the Western Continent. It had established the Sacred Court in Florence and was gradually imposing a fragile order upon the chaotic continent. However, even the Holy See found it difficult to advance against the Abyss Demons that had spread throughout Escarnia. It could only manage to establish an alliance of somewhat orderly towns centered around its cathedral. Purging the entire land and quelling the chaos seemed an unattainable dream.

It was the worst of times, but also the age when heroes emerged. Knight after knight rose to prominence in this chaotic, devastated land, saving disaster victims, quelling tides of demons, and achieving their own renown.

Isadella's consciousness inhabited a body in this world, growing up little by little in this environment. Her foster father, for reasons unknown, had harbored fervent hopes for her since childhood, expecting her to become the King who would pacify the chaos of Escarnia. However, in such chaotic times, a female King would struggle for acceptance. Therefore, while undergoing rigorous knightly training from childhood, Isadella was also taught to disguise herself as a man. In the eyes of others, she appeared as a rather handsome young knight.

Days passed, one after another. Until one day, Isadella felt the accelerated passage of time suddenly begin to slow. Her own consciousness fully awakened, no longer a mere observer but an active participant in all that transpired.

At the same time, two pieces of news, one good and one bad, spread from the surrounding towns. The bad news was that the wandering Abyss Demons seemed to have formed a demonic tide, having already breached the outer cities and threatening to invade this region at any moment. The good news was a prophecy that was being circulated:

"He who pulls out the sword stuck in the stone,"

"shall be the new King of this land."