Chapter 68: Western Fantasy Romance (X)

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Chapter 68: Western Fantasy Romance (X)

“Envoy…” Miao Lichen murmured the word almost under his breath before raising his head to meet Sathalia’s eyes, which bore a striking resemblance to his own. After a long moment, the smile on his lips deepened slightly. He bent at the waist and offered Sathalia a respectful bow. “Your Majesty, the Divine King.” His voice was calm, utterly devoid of the fervor of a fanatic who had lost all self-control. There was neither excitement nor bewilderment, as though he were simply greeting someone familiar. Even so, a trace of respect could still be heard in his tone.

Sathalia showed no sign of displeasure. The young man before him did not fear the gods. Perhaps it was because he trusted him, the Divine King of Light, or perhaps for reasons even Sathalia himself did not understand. What was obvious, however, was that Aesop regarded him with nothing more than respect—the respect one afforded a powerful being. Sathalia had no doubt that if the one standing before Aesop had not been the Divine King but another god instead, Aesop would have looked at them with exactly the same gaze.

Sathalia had always occupied a unique place in the eyes of others. Yet, for the first time, that sense of being exceptional had vanished, and he found himself treated no differently from any other god by a mere human. It was a novel experience—not an especially pleasant one, yet certainly not an unpleasant one, either.

∇ Capture Target Sathalia Campbell Favorability: 20

Aesop was unlike the other believers. Like those of the Light faction, he was hostile toward darkness, yet he would never choose to eradicate it completely because of that hostility. He understood which course of action would benefit him the most. With the Holy Church’s current influence and the forces he had personally cultivated, they might not have been able to wipe out the Dark Church entirely, but they could certainly have destroyed the greater part of it. Yet he had deliberately left the Dark Church intact. Although the two sides clashed from time to time, he had never committed the Holy Church’s full strength to eliminating it.

It was all because of balance. Without the Dark Church, the Holy Church would no longer occupy such an exalted position in people’s hearts, and the privileges enjoyed by the Light faction would truly come to an end. In a world where strength reigned supreme, very few people could perceive this, and even those who did might not be capable of acting upon it. The way Sathalia looked at Aesop grew increasingly gentle. What a pity he was only human. Otherwise, he would surely have become Sathalia’s right-hand man.

Sathalia seemed to have deliberately forgotten that he would never allow a god of the Light faction to refrain from drawing upon the power of faith. To him, power that could not be controlled was power that could not be trusted. Only strength firmly within his grasp was worthy of his confidence. Had Miao Lichen been a god rather than a human, what awaited him would likely have been hostility instead of admiration.

It was precisely because he understood this that, although Miao Lichen’s abilities had long since surpassed human limits, making him a godlike existence in this world, and although his angelic bloodline could naturally be revealed when the time came, he had Lovely conceal his true strength. Aesop would remain a human, and could only ever be a human.

When Caelric heard Aesop’s voice, his thoughts stalled for a brief moment. He quickly regained his composure, however, and looked toward the Divine King with respect but not the slightest hint of servility. He did not possess the burning devotion most people held toward the gods, yet a trace of worry surfaced in his heart. This was no angel standing before him, but the mightiest god of the Light faction—the Divine King, the oldest god recorded in history, one of the ancient gods.

“May I ask what brings Your Majesty, the Divine King, to the Kedor Continent this time? I will do my utmost to fulfill Your Majesty’s wishes.” Miao Lichen spoke again. He did not say that he would obey the Divine King’s commands, only that he would do his utmost to fulfill his wishes. The Holy Church worshipped the God of Light, but that did not mean Miao Lichen became dispensable simply because Sathalia existed. This was a Holy Church he had spent fifty years building. If it could be so easily replaced, all the effort he had devoted to it over the years would have been for nothing.

“I have come to the Kedor Continent simply to look around. If Aesop is willing to accompany me, that would naturally be even better.” A note of sincerity colored Sathalia’s smile. Anyone looking at him would find it impossible to believe he was lying, no matter how implausible his words sounded.

It had been thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands, of years since a god had last appeared on the Kedor Continent. Now that one finally had, he claimed he was merely here for sightseeing. No matter how one thought about it, that was impossible to believe. Or perhaps the gods truly had become so idle that they had nothing better to do. As mortals, they could never comprehend the endless lives of the gods, who had so much time on their hands. Human lives, after all, were filled with countless forms of amusement and endless twists and turns.

“Of course. It’s just that returning to the Sacred Mountain will likely take me several days. During that time, I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend to Your Majesty personally.” Miao Lichen glanced toward Servius. Within those obsidian-like eyes, there was unmistakable disgust when he looked at Sathalia, but no killing intent. Hearing that Miao Lichen would be returning to the Sacred Mountain seemed to displease him somewhat. His brows drew together slightly, and the hostility in his gaze toward Sathalia deepened.

Sathalia nodded without saying anything further. Then another figure suddenly appeared within the luminous screen, causing his pupils to contract slightly. The smile on his lips immediately became more inscrutable.

“The gates of the Mante Empire will always remain open to Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will allow the people of Mante to witness the radiance that truly belongs to the gods.” Caelric bowed gracefully, every movement displaying the poise of a nobleman.

“Caelric Gerald… is it?” Sathalia rose from the Pope’s seat, his gaze slowly sweeping over Caelric’s face. He regarded him with open curiosity, as though he had discovered an entirely new species. Although much of it was concealed beneath his ever-present smile of compassionate benevolence, everyone present could see it clearly. Sathalia seemed remarkably familiar with Caelric. It was not mere interest, but the familiarity of one who regarded the other as an equal. “I’m very interested in the empire you mentioned. More precisely, I’m interested in the empire that belongs to you alone.”

“…” Caelric’s hand tightened ever so slightly. He came close to narrowing his eyes out of habit. As expected of a god. Even though he was not a follower, Sathalia had still seen through his ambitions. He truly was not someone to be underestimated. Fortunately, there was one reassuring thing. The Divine King bore him no hostility. If anything, there was even a hint of goodwill. “If the opportunity arises, I will certainly allow Your Majesty to see the empire that belongs to me alone.”

Servius’s obsidian-like eyes moved repeatedly between Sathalia’s projection and Caelric. It was as though he had suddenly realized something. His expression grew increasingly grim, and his fingers slowly tightened, leaving distinct crescent marks in his pale palm. Even his fingertips darkened for an instant. He had only just realized it, and only because Sathalia had inadvertently drawn his attention to it.

Besides the Divine King and the Demon King, the ancient gods also included the Elf King, the Dragon King, the Dwarf King, and others. The relationships among these ancient gods were nothing like the bitter rivalry imagined by humans. They could hardly be called friends, and the Divine King and the Demon King had found each other disagreeable for countless years, yet they had never personally crossed blades. Instead, they left the conflicts to their followers, maintaining a detached attitude as though heaven were the chessboard, the stars its pieces; earth the lute, and the roads its strings.

If he remembered correctly, the Elf King’s name was Caelir Andreas. He was the ancient god who had never concerned himself with the affairs of the elves, merely planting a World Tree and leaving the entire race to fend for itself. Yet that very god had become a human, and not just any human, but an imperial prince with an unmistakable ambition for power. He seemed nothing like the carefree and detached Elf King described in the legends. Then again, just as Caelric’s face lacked Caelir’s exquisite beauty, a change in temperament was hardly impossible.

“Very good.” Sathalia cast one last lingering glance toward the luminous screen before it gradually dissolved. Darkness once again enveloped the room.

Miao Lichen returned to Servius’s side and gently pried open his clenched hand. Seeing the faint trace of blood on his palm, he shook his head slightly. Although the wound had already healed completely, it had still left behind a mark. The slightest scent of blood was enough for him to notice. He casually took a handkerchief from his storage space and carefully wiped away every trace of blood. Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, Servius suddenly grasped it tightly. His hand was small and could not even fully encircle Miao Lichen’s, yet his grip was surprisingly strong.

“I don’t like the Divine King.” Servius looked up at Aesop’s face and noticed the nearly imperceptible stiffness in his smile. His fingers tightened again, leaving distinct red marks on Aesop’s hand, while Servius himself seemed completely unaware of what he was doing. “In fact, you could say I hate him.”

Caelric, who had been about to leave, gave a light cough, hoping to make his presence known. Although he, too, did not worship the Divine Kingt, openly declaring one’s hatred for a god was another matter entirely. Whether one believed or not, if certain people were to hear such words, Servius could very well be branded a God-Blasphemer. In an age where oaths were recognized by the Laws, no one who lacked faith in the gods could earn the trust of others. On its own, the title God-Blasphemer carried little meaning, yet on the Kedor Continent, it had become the most vicious curse imaginable.

“It’s fine. As long as you don’t dislike the power of light.” Miao Lichen gently stroked Servius’s soft hair, and the smile on his lips returned to its usual ease. He turned to look at Caelric. There was no need for threats, nor even a warning glance. Intelligent people always knew what should be said, and what should never be spoken.

“I don’t.” Servius lowered his eyes to his own hand. He had once despised the power of light. Whether because their attributes opposed one another or because of the warmth that naturally accompanied light magic, none of it had ever appealed to him. Yet he did not dislike the aura of light surrounding Aesop. On the contrary, he found himself willing to draw close to it. Because of that, even his own body now contained a small amount of light power. He would never hate himself, and naturally, he would not hate something he himself could control.

“That’s all that matters.” Miao Lichen seemed completely unconcerned by how shocking his rather distorted way of educating a child might appear to Caelric.

Servius’s black eyes suddenly lit up. He reached out and wrapped his arms around Aesop. A faint floral fragrance surrounded him, gradually calming his emotions. Even the bloodlust that demons found so difficult to suppress diminished considerably.

∇ Capture Target Servius Joy Favorability: 60.

“Your Holiness, I’ll take my leave now. Will Your Holiness be departing Lopa County for the Sacred Mountain tomorrow? If so, I would like to hold a farewell banquet in Your Holiness’s honor.”

“Your Highness is too thoughtful. I will indeed set out tomorrow. When the time comes, I’ll have to trouble Your Highness with Miss Griffin’s affairs. There is one more favor I’d like to ask. I hope little Arthur can remain by Your Highness’s side for the time being.” Miao Lichen reached out and gently pushed Servius away from his embrace before turning to look at Caelric. At that very moment, a chilling aura suddenly enveloped the entire room. Miao Lichen felt the hand clutching at his lapel tighten abruptly, followed immediately by the sound of fabric tearing…

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