CHAPTER 1024: CHAPTER 1024: WHAT WAS NORMAL

Sure, they were working, but no one was shackled or collared, nor getting whipped and forced to work.

No one was getting treated like an animal or some kind of toy or property, like it was normal.

Arabella had not seen Crux in person when the streets were bustling and slaves were treated like animals or property, but she had seen it through the recording magic tool Alwin invented.

"And this is what Lobelius streets look like. Most territories on the continent look like this. There are no shackled or collared people. This is what is normal to most nations in the continent," Arabella said, and Alwin showed them a record of people freely bustling about in the capital city of Crux.

The people who truly had no clue that other territories looked like this were stupefied. They were at a loss for words since their whole lives; they believed the rest of the world was the same as Crux.

[Crux and the others were indeed taking too long to change. Most territories gradually ended slavery, but Crux and the others closed their borders instead so the people would not become aware of the true situation outside. And they remained the same because no kingdom wanted to waste resources trying to fix them when they were too stubborn to change.] Thought the Pope, who had witnessed kingdoms come and go. He had seen Crux before it was the kingdom it was today.

He knew that in the past, there were times when slavery was tried to be abolished, but it easily came back, especially with the other territories beside it also practicing it.

And at some point, Crux closed its borders to ensure they were unaffected by the changes outside, and they could keep their usual system without the people knowing that the rest of the world had changed.

[Hmm. They sure do not hold back with their inventions. Look at this kind of view. It doesn’t look like it was taken from a high building, but directly above them. Did someone use flight magic and move above the city while taking this? Or they controlled the magic tool to move while they were on the ground?]

The Pope’s interest was also taken by the method in which the records of the capital cities of Valeria and Lobelius were taken.

Ferdinand and Raymond said that the Pope was already a magician before he became the Pope. Thus, it was also in his nature and habit to be curious about magic experiments. Especially since he was a part of the best research magicians back then. Or rather, he was the best in his time.

[He still hasn’t given a sure response to my invitation. It would be nice to conduct experiments with him.]

The Pope glanced at Alwin, knowing fully well he must have been the one who invented it.

Alwin simply pretended not to have noticed the Pope’s gaze and acted like he was focused on his task.

After showing people in Crux what it’s like in other territories, Arabella concluded her speech.

Ferdinand then guided her to their seat. With their speeches done, they could be seated now and watch the rest of the announcements and events unfold.

With the declaration from Ferdinand earlier, Prince Sebastian was crowned as the new leader of Crux in a brief ceremony.

When the event was finally over, Ferdinand immediately guided Arabella into the palace and asked Alwin to teleport them into a room so she would stop receiving so many thoughts from thousands of people.

[She looks terrible. She had been pale since earlier.] Ferdinand thought and scooped her up in a lover’s carry.

He walked to the couch and gently settled her there.

Arabella sighed in relief as the swirl of negative thoughts finally stopped flooding into her head.

She closed her eyes and settled her head against the couch while massaging her temples.

"Alwin," Ferdinand said, prompting Alwin to heal Arabella.

Arabella immediately felt her head and body getting lighter as Alwin healed her. The headache, dizziness, and nausea all faded away.

It was great that Alwin’s healing worked on things like this, too.

"Thank you," Arabella said to Alwin, and he simply nodded and gave them space.

"Perhaps, you should return first," Ferdinand said out of worry.

[Her complexion improved, but who knows how exhausted she truly was. I heard these gifts humans receive have their perks.]

"No need. I feel so much better already," Arabella assured her husband.

Ferdinand still eyed her with worry and cupped her cheek, gently caressing it with his thumb.

[What drives her to always do her duty first, even when she’s already in pain? I wanted her to leave first earlier but she refused as well. With such determined eyes, too.]

"You are not pushing yourself again, right?"

"I’m not. I’m truly fine this time," Arabella replied.

[She doesn’t seem to be lying.]

"Alright. Let’s take a break, then, before heading to the banquet," Ferdinand finally said.

There was a celebratory banquet for the coronation and all the historic announcements they made today. And the most important in the celebration is the abolition of slavery.

All of them in powerful positions who made this possible were, of course, supposed to join it since they were gathered here today.

As for the executions, they would be carried out later.

After a few minutes of tea break, Arabella and Ferdinand joined the banquet.

They joined the table where Pope Elsevier, Sebastian, and Seraphina were.

[They’re finally here. She seems to be fine now.] Pope Elsevier thought.

He had also noticed that Arabella did not look well earlier.

[Is she pregnant?]

’Huh? I’m not!’

Arabella wondered why the Pope immediately came to such conclusions just because she did not seem well earlier.

There were tons of possible other reasons.

Or was it because Ferdinand was taking good care of her even in front of so many people?

Sebastian and Seraphina immediately rose when they arrived.

"Please be at ease," Arabella smiled at them.

Everyone else also paid a formal greeting at their arrival and only relaxed once they were seated.

They also raised a toast to them.