Chapter 132 Dawn: Irreplaceable Existence [VIP]

"I didn't interfere. You made so many changes to him that the Divine Tower determined he wasn't native to Ella."

Yaris looked at Edmund leisurely. "To enter the Divine Tower, one must first be a native of Ella. If one is neither a native of Ella nor a believer in the Twin Gods, one cannot even set foot on the steps of the Divine Tower."

"Alright! Since Edmund and I aren't even qualified to enter the Tower of God according to its logic, what's the point of me saving your life?"

Edmund smiled and threatened Yaris: "Why not now——"

"I almost forgot to tell you, if you enter the Divine Tower with me, even life forms not native to Ella can enter the sixth, seventh, and even eighth floors."

"Really? I want to verify it on the spot!"

"Aren't you afraid that I will use the divine tower to escape from you?"

“…”

Edmund was silent.

a long time--

"You sure know how to threaten me."

"You are indeed very scheming."

Yaris looked at Edmund sarcastically. "You originally planned to occupy Lucien's body and gain entry to the Divine Tower through Lucien, right?"

"How did you—"

"Lucien is my brother. Even when he ran away from home, the people I sent stayed by his side. But he disappeared without a trace under my protection. His reappearance has become... This kind of love, besides the gods, only you can do it."

"Yes, I originally intended to possess Lucien's body to deceive your feelings and have you take me to the sixth, seventh, and eighth floors of the divine tower. However, no matter how I bewitched him, seduced him, or hypnotized him, his soul showed no cracks that would allow me to invade. He even refused to allow me to spy on you and your alliance. Therefore, I had no choice but to choose this foolish and barbaric Edmund..."

"Edmund helped me bring the hypnotized Lucien back to the Western Continent and arranged for Lucien to infiltrate the event and assassinate you... He knew you were heavily protected, and Lucien's assassination was definitely not intentional. He only wanted to cause you pain and eliminate Lucien, whom he hated the most. I also wanted to use this method to strike you down and make you more vulnerable."

Edmund sighed. "If I had known ahead of time that Lucien contained the energy of an entire star, I would have ignored your advice. I would have devoted more time to studying how to possess Lucien's body, waiting for him to be resurrected and the star's energy to activate. Even if you discovered my plan midway, I would have already succeeded."

"Yeah?"

Yaris smiled coldly.

"Isn't it?"

"An ignorant beast."

Yaris looked at Edmund lazily. "You firmly believe that as long as you occupy Lucien's body before he awakens, you can successfully control the stellar power in his body. What else can I say?"

"...Are you laughing at me?"

Edmund's tone seemed calm and patient, but in fact it concealed a deep and intense anger like hell.

"Yaris, do you truly not understand the Primordial Realm, or are you pretending not to? You are my prisoner now, and I control your life and death! I don't even need to send you to prison. As long as I temporarily return control of your body to Edmund, he will be able to commit brutal acts against you at his will."

"Then do it. If you want to kill me, just do it."

Yaris casually touched the love goddess ring on his left index finger: "I don't want to die for the time being. I don't mind dying immediately. You may be able to rule this country almost forever in the name of Edmund and his descendants. After the loss of the Holy Family, perhaps a new high priest will be born in the future. I must tell you in advance——"

"What kind of love?"

"The black-haired high priest and the white-haired high priest are completely different."

Yaris said firmly, "The difference between the masters is not only reflected in their appearance, but also in their authority. Even if you finally find a white-haired high priest willing to cooperate with you after a long wait, he cannot take you to the eighth or even ninth floor."

"I can continue to wait until the next black-haired high priest is born."

"I suppose you've already read Archduchess Anna's memories."

"Um?"

"The Holy Family has been passed down for five thousand years. Including me, there have been seventy-seven generations of Black-Haired High Priests. Because all Black-Haired High Priests look exactly the same, many suspect that they are all copies of the same genetic genes. Some also believe that all Black-Haired High Priests are the reincarnation of the same person. The next Black-Haired High Priest will be chosen by the family and the people. You cannot move my heart, and you cannot move the next Black-Haired High Priest either."

"...Don't fall into my hands. I will definitely break your heart and force you to cooperate with me!"

"Is this your plan?"

Yaris sighed: "It's late at night, I need to rest, tomorrow is the day."

"you--"

Edmund's mouth twisted into a sinister shape as he let out a harsh laugh. "Well, I really can't force you to serve me right now. But your brother—formerly Lucien, now the thief Aura I—isn't he the one you really don't want to see right now?"

"To fulfill your love, I! Now, Yaris, the passage is open!"

Following these words, the already dimly lit room fell into complete darkness. Then a bright light appeared, and a blurry figure emerged from it.

"younger brother……"

Yaris kept his expression as calm as possible, folded his hands, and stared at the figure that was gradually becoming clearer in the light.

His brother was sitting beside a camp bed, his hands clasped tightly around his chest, his eyes closed as if he were trying to calm down but also as if he was forcing himself back into silence.

"What are you thinking about? Are you worried that he's not getting enough sleep because he's missing you? Or that he'll insist on leading his army to rescue Denos and end up getting ambushed by a large army?"

"I made him swear that no matter what happens, he won't compromise for the sake of the hostages. Besides, he's already received my message crystal. He knows my life is in danger in your hands... so he absolutely won't turn back to rescue Denos! And he won't fall into your trap!"

Yaris gritted his teeth and said to the collapsed shore, "For me, there is a mission in the world that is far more important than my life waiting for him to complete! I think so too."

"oh?"

Edmund sneered again: "If I tell you, he has also entered the dream channel and is seeing you now. Do you believe it?"

"I……"

"You may be someone who is so rational that you are cold-blooded, Renqiao—"

"He dared to put my life above our karma. I will hate him forever!"

"In that case, I will kill you now!"

"If I die, all your ten years of plotting and scheming will be in vain. He will no longer have any weaknesses and can devote himself to completing our mission!"

"You are such a person that I don't know how to judge you!"

Edmund let out a sinister and suppressed laugh.

At this moment, the person in the light suddenly raised his head, and the sea-like waves shone like a stream of water.

"Well, you're not dreaming."

Edmund said impatiently, "Your brother is now in my hands. I can twist his head off at any time as easily as twisting off a bird. I can also humiliate and torture him in various ways. In the cage I carefully prepared for him, no matter what happens, only my men and I are present. The secret will never be revealed to the public."

"You can do whatever you want! You're nothing but an incompetent, cowardly piece of shit!"

Yaris retorted sharply, "Every word He just said was a threat to you. As long as He still wants to rule this country, He dare not and cannot let me suffer any harm! So, brother, you must go to Maga immediately and meet Alfonso who is on his way. Let the entire Western Continent know about the tragedy that happened in Denos!"

"You're a little too optimistic about the future!"

"Edmund" was furious.

"I am just confident that light will prevail!"

"You, whose soul contains the darkness of heaven, do you believe that light will prevail?"

“…light is born from darkness.”

After saying this, Yaris closed his eyes tightly, no longer looking at his brother over there, and no longer talking to "Edmund".

Edmund sighed and said to Guang: "What about you? Do you really not consider my suggestion at all?"

When he heard "Edmund", an indescribable expression appeared on Xiao Yun's lips.

He shook his head and said without question: "My brother has made the decision for me."

"Even if—"

"If I give in because of the threat, he will be a model

"Ren Qiao may die at any moment because of your intransigence!"

"I will avenge him at all costs!"

After saying that, the "Golden Blade" was revealed, cutting off this false and ridiculous dream.

"--you!"

…

…

"——Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

I could faintly hear fierce shouts.

Xiao Yun opened his eyes and saw a bright light, then subconsciously closed his eyes again.

After a short period of calm, he adjusted to the light and opened his eyes again…"

"I'm sorry, dark forces just attacked your tent, but we..."

The magicians apologized in unison.

"Don't worry, I have successfully defeated the nightmare and returned to the real world."

Xiao Yun sat up straight and told the generals who had rushed over after hearing the news, "Just now, in a dream, I saw my brother... He told me to hasten to Maga City, lift the siege of Maga, and meet Alfonso, who was on his way. This was the best decision."

"His Majesty--"

"So I've decided to split the army in two. I'll lead one to rescue Denos, while Marus will lead the rest to take the battle... If I can't return in time, you can ask Alfonso and Kairusha to command the allied forces. Under their command, we will surely triumph!"

"Your Majesty! Do you know what you are saying?"

Malus jumped up and said, "We are gathered here for His Majesty. No one can replace His Majesty's position in our hearts!"

Others were also very emotional and protested.

"His Majesty Alfonso and His Highness Kairusha are both excellent men. We clearly hope they will become our commanders-in-chief... not to mention the ridiculous idea of ​​enthroning one of them as the emperor of the new Holy Sun Empire after the war!"

"Furthermore, the Holy Family's bloodline... the Holy Family has been a crucial cornerstone of the Empire and the Twin Gods faith for five thousand years. Even those who despise bloodline inheritance the most cannot accept the grave consequences of the Holy Family's bloodline being suddenly severed..."

"His Majesty--"

"Love inherited through blood..."

Xiao Yun thought for a moment and said vaguely, "My brother said that the Holy Family's bloodline has another way of inheritance. It won't be cut off unless Brother Huang Zhi and I have descendants."

"That's also..."

"It may be a bit irresponsible to say this, Rencha—I can't afford to lose the body of my beloved King, even more than becoming the emperor of the empire. I won't allow it to fall into Edmund's hands. To me, the world cannot be without him... If he's not in this world, I'll be in the tomb of Pan... I don't mind talking to him every day and being called crazy. I just want to make sure he's still there, by my side, in my world..."

His voice was choked with sobs: "To ordinary people, our feelings may be a little strange, even incomprehensible, Renqia... To me, he is a part of my life. Losing him is like losing my soul!"

“…”

People couldn't help but rub their hands, close their eyes, or turn around slightly. In a trance, they even saw the shadow of Yaris standing next to Xiao Yun.

"I'm very happy to have everyone's trust. You think I'm irreplaceable to you. Ye Yan is also irreplaceable. Even... So, please understand my decision. I... I..."

"..., I, I have no objection."

Malus spoke calmly, then suddenly squatted down with his hands covering his face. Sakura seemed unable to bear it and let out a faint sob mixed with despair and sadness.

"Your Highness is indispensable to you. For us, the tragedy that occurred in Denos is also a nightmare. I regret it very much... If we had received the news earlier, if we could... perhaps, perhaps we could still make it in time..."

At this moment, everyone else was either biting their lips or sleeves, trying hard to suppress the strong regret and unwillingness that was welling up in their hearts.

"Thanks."

Xiao Yun nodded gently. "Then, we will now officially divide the troops. One part will go to Denos with the mission of recapture my brother. After successfully rescuing Denos, we will establish a guerrilla war zone around the royal capital. The other part will go to Maga. After lifting the siege of Maga City, we will form a joint force with Alfonso's army, the grassland alliance army of Kairusha, and the Dalavian army that is on the way. We will hold high the banner of saving the motherland and march towards the royal capital!"

Everyone nodded.

Xiao Yun continued, "First of all, it's about the distribution of generals. I think—why are you so anxious?

With a stern shout, the tent door opened, and the "Dark Night Mentor" with an old face covered with wrinkles like dirt walked in slowly, followed by Lance.

"How did you—"

"His Majesty!"

Lance walked up to Xiao Yun and knelt down to salute: "It was the 'Dark Night Mentor' who brought me here."

"Not only did I bring him here, I also treated his injuries along the way."

The "Dark Night Mentor" had a smile on his face as if he was asking for credit and reward.

Xiao Yun then noticed that Lance's left shoulder was wrapped in a thick layer of bandages, and his left arm had become a mechanical arm wrapped in a metal shell: "Lance, your left arm——"

"Yesterday... No, it's already dawn, so it should be the day before yesterday... The day before yesterday, when I was fighting the lizard monsters, those monsters chopped off one of my arms!"

Lance raised his mechanical arm and removed the outer shell, revealing an inner structure interwoven with magic and technology. "Now I've replaced it with a stronger one! With a little training, I can destroy a lizard monster with a single shot!"

"This arm is my masterpiece."

The Dark Night Mentor added complacently.

Xiao Yun glanced at him and asked, "Why are you here?"

"Can't I come here?"

The "Dark Night Mentor" screamed in anger.

Xiao Yun: "According to the battle report I received from Denos, you, as His important ally, invaded Denos just the day before yesterday."

"...Okay! I admit that I did become His ally some time ago without realizing it... I'm so angry! Back then, He used some trickery to temporarily control my mind, until the evening before yesterday..."

The Dark Night Mentor tapped his cane vigorously. "The evening before yesterday, I saw so many people rushing towards me knowing that resistance was futile and would only lead to failure. My heart suddenly felt indescribably heavy. And then... although this seems a bit ridiculous, Renqia - I, like you, have the pride of being a human. I dream of becoming the strongest magician, admired and looked up to by everyone. I will not allow anyone to become a puppet of a monster from another world!"

"So you—"

"After waking up, I pretended that my will was still under His control. I brought Lance out under the pretext of needing a test subject for a dark magic experiment. I first treated his bleeding, then installed a robotic arm on him, and finally brought him to your barracks."

"...Before I came here, I received an important message from His Highness, sent by Kelly."

Lance said hesitantly.

"Is that true? My brother, he is now..."

"He has already left Denos in a carriage, escorted by the Dog Emperor's army, and is heading for the capital."

"What!"

"His Highness demands that the Dog Emperor completely withdraw from Denos before sunrise today, and never set foot on or invade Denos again. For reasons unknown to us, the Dog Emperor has no choice but to accept his request."

Lance said with a mixture of laughter and tears: "I have always believed that His Highness needed our protection, but the truth is... it was His Highness who protected us from the beginning to the end..."

"yes……"

A faint bitter smile appeared on Xiao Yun's face.

Others also felt an indescribable shame in their hearts.

Lance continued, "A letter had arrived from Kyliel, demanding that Your Majesty not make any rash decisions to recapture him, and forbidding anyone from choosing to fight for martyrdom out of inner anxiety and regret! He hoped Your Majesty would make good use of this opportunity and quickly unite the various forces of the Western Continent. He hoped that Your Majesty would break into the enemy camp, not to rescue him, but to bring him back to the throne. They were only experienced generals, and only Your Majesty could be the most important banner that united them all!"

"Rincha... To me, the only thing that matters in this world is my brother. Only with him can I be happy. If something bad happens to him, I'm afraid... I'll never feel happy again in this life..."

“…”

Everyone couldn't help but chat again.

Lance took a breath and said carefully, "Precisely because Your Highness is His Majesty's only path to happiness, you should remain rational now. In fact, His Highness has assigned me a secret mission."

"What mission?"

Lance saw it

The Dark Night Mentor sneered: "Don't you trust me?"

"Your Highness wants me to pretend to be under the mental control of the 'Dark Night Mentor' and enter the Dog Emperor's army, taking the opportunity to obtain more troops from the Dog Emperor's army."

"Um?"

"Perhaps out of concern that the Twin Gods' followers in the army wouldn't dare to wield their swords against the clergy of Denos, or perhaps because he prioritized capturing Princess Her Majesty, he used lizard monsters to fight within the inner city during the battle to capture Denos. This action caused the human soldiers in the army to doubt the legitimacy of Edmund's regime. Moreover, when the citizens of Denos were defending the Great Temple—"

At this point, the "Dark Night Mentor" paused for a moment, then continued to speak.

"The fierceness and determination displayed by the citizens of Denos in defending the Great Temple moved even me, who was under mental control. Furthermore, most of the soldiers in His army are normal humans... Your Highness believes that these soldiers are currently wavering. If they can be guided in time, they will surely rise up in support of the army when it liberates the capital!"

"this……"

Malus and others looked at the "Dark Night Mentor" and Lance in shock.

Lance looked at Xiao Yun: "Your Majesty!"

"This is an extremely dangerous mission."

"The silk is colorful and the silk is shining!

"But I...if I accept your request, I must temporarily put aside my longing for my brother. For me..."

"Your Highness said that if ruthlessness can lead to better outcomes and bring happiness to more people, then ruthlessness is the greatest compassion. This is also why Your Highness cares so much about Your Majesty."

Lance looked at Xiao Yun eagerly. "The sun is about to rise, and it's time for me to follow my teacher back to his camp. Honestly, as a mercenary, I've been hesitant about who to fight for and where to fight. Now—I plan to wait until the employment contract signed between my master Alfonso and His Highness Yaris ends. Then, I plan to abandon everything I can gain in Barakaniya, surrender to His Majesty in the guise of a human being, and officially become His Majesty's knight!"

"...Lance, be safe."

Xiao Yun said sullenly.

"You're welcome."

Lance smiled happily, turned around and walked out of the tent with the "Dark Night Mentor".

Everyone once again turned their attention to Xiao Yun, the commander-in-chief.

"I see."

Xiao Yun took a breath and said, "I will get the instructions from the army soon. Before that, please allow me... allow me to stay alone in the tent for a while..."

"So do we."

People spoke in unison, saluted solemnly, and then stood up and left.

Xiao Yun sat beside the camp bed, silently stroking the crystal of Yaris's message.