The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 484: The Family’s Succession Problem

For the next few hours, Aldrian spoke about his adventure in the Atria Empire with Pope Claudius and Angelica. His story was more than enough to entertain them, as many events had unfolded during his time in the empire.

They showed a range of expressions as they listened, and when Aldrian finally finished, they both let out a long sigh. They now understood why he had done everything he did, and they couldn’t help but commend his decisiveness. To punish those who had harmed his family, Aldrian had not held back in displaying his might. It wasn’t arrogance—it was exactly what should have been done.

Aldrian’s strength wasn’t something kept for deterrence— it was a power he used to serve his cause. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

"Oh, and I’m returning these to you," Aldrian said as he took out the Heaven’s Punishment Spear and the Heavenly Sovereign Sanctuary Staff.

Pope Claudius was stunned at first, then sighed in relief.

"I’m truly grateful, young Aldrian. I don’t even know how to repay you."

"No need, Your Holiness. It’s only right that I help you and the church. The traitor problem isn’t yours alone. Even if I had no connection to the church, I would still help—this concerns the devils, after all."

Pope Claudius accepted the spear and the staff.

"These legacy artifacts are our trump cards. To think that traitor was able to steal and use them is deeply troubling. He must have used some method to force the divine-grade artifacts to obey him," he said.

Aldrian nodded. "Yes. He used a method he obtained from the devils. It involved a formation that deceives divine-grade artifacts, allowing someone other than their master to wield them."

"But I have already removed the effect. Your Holiness does not need to worry. The artifacts have returned to their original state and can be used without issue."

The pope nodded again, then seemed to remember something.

"Ah, yes. About a week ago, the two emperors from the Doria Empire and the Vindas Empire came to see me. We spoke about you."

Aldrian raised his eyebrows. The two emperors had gone to the pope to talk about him?

"Well, they are among the few who know about your true parentage," the pope said. "We spoke about the future—about the moment when your parents’ identities become known across the continent, and how we should respond to it. The emperors are trying to find common ground. They know that if this matter is not handled properly, it could spark conflict between the Flamecrest and Rivas families."

"When that time comes, many will ask which family you intend to inherit. Your father and mother are each the successors of their respective houses. You will not be able to avoid the question."

"And it is not something you can simply say, ’I will not choose between them,’ because right now, you are their only son. Their families will continue pressing you, or in this case, trying to persuade you."

The pope paused as he observed Aldrian’s expression. He, too, was curious about how Aldrian planned to address this issue.

"Do you already have a plan for handling this?" he asked.

Aldrian took a sip of his tea and smiled at the pope.

"Of course I do," he replied.

"Then, have you made a decision—"

"However, I indeed will not choose between them," Aldrian interrupted.

Pope Claudius was stunned.

"But that will create more—"

"Your Holiness, there is a reason why my parents named me Aldrian Aster."

The pope then understood what Aldrian meant but shook his head.

"I understand what you’re trying to imply, but it’s not that simple, even if Aldrey and Irene do not want you to inherit their families, as I mentioned, their family members will still bother you. They won’t share the same views as your parents. These are noble families that require prestige and brilliant descendants like you to continue their legacy."

"Yes, that’s true," Aldrian replied. "But what can they really do if I refuse? Coerce me? If I choose only one of them, there will be hidden problems that will eventually erupt in the future. Negative emotions like envy and greed are not something I will underestimate, especially within noble families."

"I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I know that whichever family I choose will undoubtedly benefit the most. If I choose only one of them, in the short term, there may be no problem. But it will create negative feelings in the family I do not choose, and those feelings will accumulate over time."

"In the far future, this could become dangerous and act as a hidden knife in the relationship between the two families. The future generations of the family I don’t choose will carry hostile intentions toward the other family because of my decision."

The pope paused to think for a moment, then nodded in agreement. He hadn’t considered that angle and couldn’t help but be impressed by Aldrian’s strategic thinking.

"So, you plan to create your own family?" he asked.

Aldrian nodded.

"That is the best decision I can think of. I won’t have to choose between the two families, and there will be no grudge between them. If Father and Mother want successors for the Flamecrest and Rivas families in the future, they can give birth to younger siblings for me. I believe that’s the most fair solution."

Angelica blushed, hearing Aldrian speak about his parents as if they could have children at any time. But Pope Claudius nodded in agreement, forgetting that he was speaking to the most powerful youngster on the continent, and one of the most formidable cultivators.

If Aldrian didn’t want it, what could anyone else do?

The tricks that worked on others would have no effect on him. With his immense strength and reputation, there was no way the Flamecrest or Rivas families could coerce him into choosing one of them. Even if they tried to use his parents against him, it would only backfire.

"I see, that’s a good decision," Pope Claudius said, taking a sip of his tea, followed by Aldrian.

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot to tell you. Emperor Herman wants to see you after this. He was nagging me that if you came to the church, I should let him know. He said he wants to take you somewhere," Pope Claudius explained.

Aldrian tilted his head. Emperor Herman wanted to take him somewhere?

"I already told him earlier. And speaking of him, he seems to be here already."

Aldrian was stunned but then looked outside using his Eyes of the Heaven. Just as the pope had said, he saw Emperor Herman, in disguise, making his way through the crowd.

Although the emperor was amidst the crowd and had tried to suppress his aura and cultivation, Aldrian could still sense his high Emperor-stage cultivation, which revealed his identity.

Emperor Herman wore an ordinary robe and used a transformation technique to disguise his face, making him unrecognizable. He approached the front of the church and headed toward the inner area without any issue, as it seemed the pope had already informed the guards to let him in.

Not long after, Emperor Herman arrived at the front of the room, escorted by the guards, and the pope allowed him inside.

As soon as the emperor laid his eyes on Aldrian, his gaze lit up as if he had saw a brilliant gem. Once the guards left, Emperor Herman shifted his appearance back to his original face.

Aldrian smiled and stood up to greet the emperor.

"Your Majesty, it’s good to see you again. However, it’s truly surprising that you came here in this way. Did you really come alone from the Vindas Empire?"

Emperor Herman smiled.

"Well, it was much faster this way. If I had followed the proper protocol, I would’ve arrived here tomorrow at the earliest, and that would be a waste of time," he said, approaching Aldrian.

"How have you been, young Aldrian?"

"I’m good, Your Majesty. Better than ever."

"Good, good." The emperor said, placing a hand on Aldrian’s shoulder as if he were family, clearly proud of him.

Emperor Herman then turned to the pope and Angelica, slightly lowering his head in a sign of respect. After all, the pope held a high status, and he was both older and stronger than him. As for Angelica, she held the same status as the pope.

"My apologies, Your Holiness. It was rude of me not to greet you first, but I was simply too happy to meet young Aldrian again," he said.

Pope Claudius nodded with a smile.

"Not a problem. I understand your eagerness, especially since you have business with Aldrian."

After that, the emperor took a seat and looked at Aldrian.

"By the way, young Aldrian, you didn’t tell me you were the child of Aldrey and Irene. Because of that, I nearly got fooled by that bastard Durand. *Sigh*. I apologize for my foul language, Your Holiness."

Aldrian was stunned. He didn’t know what had happened between the two emperors, but he still felt sorry and wore an apologetic expression.

"My apologies, Your Majesty. At that time, I couldn’t find the right moment to tell you about my origins. If it caused you any discomfort, I will make it up to you," he said.

But the emperor simply waved his hand.

"No, you don’t have to do anything. I was just expressing my frustration, nothing more. You’ve already done so much for me and the Vindas Empire, and I still haven’t properly rewarded you for it. I’m the one who should feel ashamed," he said before taking a sip of the tea that had been served before his arrival.

"So, Your Majesty, I heard from His Holiness that you wanted to take me somewhere. May I know where you plan to take me?" Aldrian asked.