A dazzling brilliance burst forth upon the altar at the center of the square, incredibly striking.
The nobles who supported Prince Henry, those who opposed him, and even those who had come purely for entertainment, all were momentarily stunned by the radiant light.
"Could it be... could it be... could it be... we were truly mistaken about His Highness? Does he possess the pure Roman blood?"
"No, no, no... Does even the pure Roman blood emit such a strong glow?"
"No... that doesn't seem quite right. I remember, decades ago when the direct descendant of the Roman lineage, 'Foolish' Henry, had his recognition ceremony, the brilliance wasn't this intense..."
"Henry II? But he didn't find the Book of Contracts back then!"
"But doesn't the Book of Contracts demand a higher bloodline intensity?"
"Could it be... could it be that His Highness's bloodline is not just untainted, but actually quite strong?"
"This... it's not impossible. If he really is a descendant from the union of the Red Lilac and Purple Lilac families, a reversion to ancestral blood is not out of the question! After all... the Contract Light cannot be faked."
"It seems... we may all have truly misunderstood His Highness."
"What a scene! What a scene! Such intense light... It seems the Roman Sword recognizes His Highness to a considerable extent!"
"The Book of Contracts couldn't be fake, could it?"
"Impossible, if it were a fake, how could the Contract Light be activated?"
Watching the dazzling altar, the nobles each showed different expressions, buzzing with speculation.
Meanwhile, on the viewing platform, Duke Conte, "Count Castel," and Prince Henry, who stood before the altar in the square, displayed equally splendid reactions.
Could it be... Count Castel's lineage... is that strong?
Duke Conte's eyes widened.
He couldn't help but glance at "Count Castel" beside him, and the "Count Castel" next to him just shook his head vehemently, indicating that he was completely unaware of all this, that he was just a mercenary getting paid for his work.
And as for Prince Henry in the center of the square,
He had already begun to feel guilty.
The response from the Book of Contracts far exceeded his expectations, making him increasingly nervous.
However, having heard the speculation of the nobles, he gradually relaxed.
Thank goodness no one thought of the possibility that he could be cheating!
In everyone's understanding, the direct blood of the Roman line had already ended with the death of Henry II.
Those who were aware of Count Castel's identity either ended up controlled by the Royal Family or silenced.
Perhaps there were some nobles in the Castel Domain who knew this secret, but what of it?
As long as he could successfully marry into the Castel family afterward, any lapses would be covered up!
No one would find a fault, and even if they were amazed by the Contract Light, they could only attribute it to the uniqueness of his bloodline!
After all... He was the only one who was officially the descendant of the union of the Red Lilac and Purple Lilac families, and while a reversion to ancestral blood was rare, it had occurred throughout history!
Comforting himself with these thoughts, Prince Henry's troubled heart gradually calmed.
He straightened up, held his head high with pride, and assumed a confidently victorious demeanor.
Seeing Prince Henry's confident appearance, the nobles who were watching became somewhat more convinced of their guesses about his bloodline reversion.
However, in a two-story building on the square, Duke Yoroc, who had once witnessed Romannus himself draw the Divine Sword from the stone, couldn't sit still...
"No... this is definitely not a bloodline reversion. The light wasn't this strong when Romannus drew it out!"
"This... This is resonance! It's a Divine Artifact resonance!"
"But... how is that possible? Even if a descendant of Romannus might cause a Divine Artifact to resonate, how could the degree of resonance surpass that of Romannus, the Master of the Artifact?"
Duke Yoroc suddenly stood up, his expression unreadable.
His gaze fell on Yulster, who was next to him, and then he blinked in surprise.
He saw that Yulster, too, was staring dumbfounded at the blinding light, but within that dumbfoundedness, there seemed to be a hint of resigned knowing.
Duke Yoroc felt he had touched upon a crucial issue.
He grabbed Yulster abruptly and said with a stern face,
"Yulster! Are you hiding something from me?"
Yulster was startled.
Facing Duke Yoroc's stern gaze, he was about to give a noncommittal reply when he noticed a dark red light emitting from the Duke's pupils.
It was the Blood Law Truth Technique of the Spirit Path!
Yulster knew he was in trouble.
He had forgotten that the Bloodline elders could forcibly use this Talent Divine Skill, which was comparable to the Holy Royal Court's Eye of Truth, against their progeny!
Under Duke Yoroc's scrutiny, Yulster felt an overpowering spiritual will descending upon his soul, and every word he would say next could not be a lie; more precisely, he could not utter a falsehood against this will.
Panic surged in his heart.
But just as Yulster thought he was doomed, a gold-red glow suddenly flickered deep within his soul.
In the spiritual world, the Holy Emblem of the thorny rose slowly emerged, shining brightly, enveloping Yulster's soul, and the attempt by Duke Yoroc to exert Spiritual Control dissipated like rain entering the ocean, not making the slightest impact.