"If this truly marks the conclusion of the Hall of Glory, then where is the portrait of the first Demon Emperor, Amon Crimson?"
Question marks appeared above his head as he muttered in confusion.
To be honest, among all the generations of Demon Emperors in existence, it was Amon Crimson, the very first Demon Emperor in the world, who, besides Morgan Crimson, sparked his intense curiosity.
The history and ancient literature documenting Amon Crimson were exceedingly rare, as if only a handful of individuals had ever recorded his story.
Even within the libraries of the Elysium Imperial Palace and the Holy Orthodox Great Hall, there were only a scant few records about him, almost enough to count on one hand.
Initially, Leon himself was somewhat puzzled by the reason for this, which fueled his eagerness to visit the Hall of Glory and study the image of this great and legendary figure.
However, to his dismay, there wasn't even a portrait of Amon Crimson in the Hall of Glory, leaving him filled with regret.
"Hey~ How is it possible that there's no portrait of such a legendary figure in the Hall of Glory?" he complained, unable to accept this outcome.
In fact, not only was the history of Demon Emperor Amon Crimson sparsely recorded in the libraries of both the Elysium Imperial Palace and the Holy Orthodox Great Hall, but even the history of the three first-generation heroes remained shrouded in obscurity.
Little was documented aside from the tale of their collective victory over Demon Emperor Amon Crimson 7,000 years ago.
Due to this, he truly hoped that the Hall of Glory would furnish him with a satisfactory answer, yet regrettably, it appeared unattainable.
"Damn it! I'm certain that person's portrait must be in this hall! There's a good chance I might have overlooked it!" Leon snapped back to reality, realizing the validity of his thoughts.
After all, he had been too engrossed in examining all the portraits of the Demon Emperors earlier, so it made sense that he may have overlooked Amon Crimson's portrait.
Without hesitation, he renewed his determination and resolved to retrace his steps to search thoroughly!
Giving up was not in his life's dictionary, and even if it were, the possibility was smaller than the shape of protons, electrons, and neutrons in an atom!
Ten minutes later...
*Thud!*
With a weary expression, Leon lay sprawled at the entrance of the Hall of Glory, devoid of the spirited demeanor he had displayed earlier.
"I... I've given up... It seems... it truly doesn't exist, damn it!" Gasping for breath, his handsome face appeared pallid, as if he had run for hundreds of kilometers.
He had run back and forth numerous times to confirm whether he had indeed missed Amon Crimson's portrait, but his efforts proved futile as there was no portrait to be found at all!
"How could Amon Crimson's portrait not be in the Hall of Glory!? It's impossible, isn't it?" Leon quickly sat up, his forehead creased in distress.
After all, the Hall of Glory was where the entire legacy of the Demon Emperors from every era was housed!
It was inconceivable and utterly nonsensical that a legendary figure like the painting of Amon Crimson, the first Demon Emperor and progenitor of the Demon Emperors of every era, simply did not exist!
However, reality had already dealt him a harsh blow, and he could no longer cling to his hopes.
Then he quickly took a deep breath, as if to quell the anxiety in his mind.
"Huft~ I suspected there must be something concealed about this matter. With the scant historical records from 7000 years ago regarding the three heroes of the first generation of mankind or Amon Crimson himself, there's undoubtedly something amiss." Leon slowly rose to his feet, his golden eyes regaining their original clarity as he muttered.
He wasn't a fool; he noticed the irregularities of the many pieces of evidence that were clearly in his sight.
It was undeniable that the history of 7,000 years ago had been suppressed or obliterated by a certain party, leaving all evidence relating to the incident conspicuously absent.
As someone who had lived twice, his mind was more advanced and logical than anyone else's in the world, making him very confident in his conjecture.
Regrettably, he was clueless as to why this could have occurred or who could be responsible for it.
"Tsk! The depths of this fantasy world are truly profound and mysterious." Leon shook his head, sighing helplessly.
He had underestimated this world too much before, feeling powerful and invincible while he still stood at his peak position as a sword hero recognized by the great holy sword Zenith.
However, this reality compelled him to reassess and exercise caution in the future.
Just as he was lost in thought, a very small, faint voice suddenly reached and was heard in his ears, startling him instantly.
"..."
"Huh? A voice? Am I hallucinating?" His forehead creased in a frown, and due to the voice's faintness, he wondered if it might be an illusion.
Yet, driven by curiosity, he closed his eyes, attempting to heighten his sense of hearing for a moment.
"Wuuu...." A soft, drawn-out sound emerged, gradually gaining clarity.
Leon was certain this wasn't a mere illusion, so he kept his eyes shut, focusing on sharpening his hearing.
"Wooooo! I want to play with Daddy! Wooooo!"
The sound—unmistakably the cry of a child—jolted Leon awake, prompting him to open his eyes.
"This voice... Fiona!?" Surprise painted his face, and in an instant, he recalled his initial intention!
"Damn it! I forgot that I wanted to go to the garden to play with Fiona!" He nearly leaped from his place, consumed by guilt for neglecting his little daughter!
Despite having promised to accompany her in play, he had broken that promise on the very first day!
Sure enough, he wasn't fit to be a good father yet!
"No! I have to go over there and apologize!" Leon panicked, fearing the possibility of being hated by his adorable little girl.
Without consideration for the Hall of Glory behind him, he sprinted out of the hall, guided solely by the direction from which the crying voice emanated.
After all, he was initially lost, and this voice could certainly lead him toward the garden where Fiona was crying right now!
However, what escaped his notice was that the moment his figure vanished from the entrance of the Hall of Glory, the red eyes of all the Demon Emperor paintings on the walls, excluding Liliana's, suddenly shifted mysteriously in the direction of his departure.
Particularly notable was the painting at the far end of the hall, where the Second Demon Emperor, Morgan Crimson, suddenly exhibited a smile, as if the image of his lips had moved of its own accord.