Volume 2, Chapter 63 – The Secret

“…..”

When it came down to it, Tianyin still couldn’t quite process the words Sargus had just said to her. That sudden request…

No matter how she thought about it, if it was something truly important, there should’ve been plenty of others he could’ve asked for help.

He clearly knew that Tianyin’s Throne-class strength was only because of the Seven Deadly Sins, so why suddenly say all that to her?

No matter how she reasoned it, it simply didn’t make sense.

The more she thought about it, the less she could understand or accept what Sargus had said.

But most importantly, what struck her the hardest, was his final line.

That there was never such a race as the undead in this world?

And that the Graveyard faction was something that shouldn’t have existed in the first place?

Huh?

What the hell? Did the System make another mistake in its settings or something?

Tianyin’s little face went blank, her expression filled with disbelief.

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“You don’t believe it, do you? But it’s the truth.”

Sargus seemed to notice her unwillingness to accept his words and slowly began to explain.

“Like I said before, a million years ago, the Graveyard didn’t exist at all. Back then, there were only seven factions. Other than the Legendary and Thrones, when people died, they simply disappeared from the world forever.”

His voice was calm, like he was telling a story.

“It’s almost ridiculous when I think about it now. Back then, I was just an ordinary human, nothing more. Although the memory of that time has long since faded due to how distant it is, I know that there were no undead at that time.”

“And those who were said to linger between life and death were just an abstract concept, nothing more.”

“Wuu…”

Even though Tianyin didn’t completely understand what Sargus meant right away, she still tried to carefully think through the meaning behind his words.

“You’re saying that a million years ago, the undead didn’t even exist? And that you were just a normal person?”

Sargus nodded silently.

“The undead… to put it simply, not all of them were evil. At least in the very beginning, the undead were just pitiful souls who couldn’t let go of the hope to keep living, wandering endlessly between life and death.”

“At that time, only those with incredibly strong attachments could become undead. There were older brothers who refused to die because they couldn’t bear to leave their little sisters alone. There were girls who clawed their way out of graves just to protect the one they loved. There were even Paladins who, in order to uphold their ideals of justice, crawled step by step back from the depths of death itself…”

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“So, in the beginning, the undead were simply a group of fools who chose to stay behind purely for the sake of others…”

Though Sargus’s words were brief, Tianyin could hear countless stirring, heartbreaking stories hidden within them.

“But if the first undead were like that, then… Why invade the Main World now? Starting such a war, doesn’t that completely go against the very reason they existed in the first place?”

Yes, if the first undead were so pure and selfless, then why had today’s undead, today’s Graveyard, resolutely started a war, spreading death across the Main World?

“Why, you ask?”

At her question, the Undead Grand Duke Sargus showed a trace of confusion in his eyes.

“Why… actually, even I couldn’t control that. In the beginning, I had no intention of starting this war.”

“Eh…?”

Sargus’s words made Tianyin gasp.

And in the depths of her mind, even Samael, who had been silent this whole time, let out a startled sound.

“Surprised?”

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Sargus glanced at Tianyin, a faint, weary smile appearing on his face.

“Eh… I… I’m not, I just… I’m just a little surprised, that’s all. Just a tiny bit…”

“Be surprised if you must. It doesn’t matter. After all, everyone believes this war was started by me. Even though I know it wasn’t truly my will, I won’t bother explaining otherwise.”

“So you’re saying… this really wasn’t something you wanted to do, but you still chose to take the blame for it?”

Tianyin reflexively asked back.

“Hmm? Take the blame… I don’t quite understand what that means, but yes, something like that.”

It was clear that Sargus didn’t intend to dig too deeply into Tianyin’s use of the term “take the blame.”

“Surprising, isn’t it? I could have stopped this war, but I knew, even if I stopped it today, it would break out again tomorrow.”

“Eh? Why? You’re a Throne, aren’t you? You’re the Undead Grand Duke, aren’t you? If you don’t approve of the war, would your subordinates still dare to start it without you?”

Tianyin truly couldn’t understand.

After all, in her understanding, a Throne-class existence was absolute in authority. In every major faction, aside from the King of Knights of the Kingdom, every other Throne was a supreme being, figures like the Heavenly Father of the Sanctuary, the Abyssal Lord of Inferno, or the Fortress Emperor of the Stronghold. None of them were beings anyone would dare defy.

By that reasoning, as a Throne himself, Sargus should have absolute authority. If he didn’t give the order, there should be no way for his subordinates to start a war with the Main World, right?

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“I am indeed a Throne, and the supreme leader of the Graveyard.”

Sargus explained unhurriedly.

“But though the upper ranks of the Graveyard show me great respect and fear on the surface, in their eyes, attacking the Main World is far more important than obeying my command.”

“…That’s… there’s actually such a thing?”

Tianyin couldn’t even count how many times she had been shocked by Sargus today. At this point, even if Sargus suddenly told her he was actually a beautiful young girl, she probably wouldn’t be surprised anymore.

“But that’s just how it is. The Graveyard may be vast, but those who can retain a complete sense of self are exceedingly rare. The rest of the undead are nothing more than hollow shells, puppets acting purely on instinct.”

“So those mindless undead must be commanded by those who still have consciousness. And since I alone can’t possibly direct hundreds of billions of undead at once, each conscious undead commands its own groups of mindless ones.”

“And that means, in truth, when it comes to the command of the entire Graveyard’s forces… the portion under my control is actually very small.”

At last, Sargus revealed a truth Tianyin had never known.

That the Undead Grand Duke, who appeared to be an exalted ruler whom all undead must obey, had, in reality, already been undermined by his own Legendary subordinates.