Todd said to Rachel, "We'll discuss the Black Plague later."

The latter blinked: "Is there something bothering you in the kingdom again?"

Todd gestured for the scholars to cover the iron cage with the black cloth again, then turned to Rachel and said, "Let's talk as we walk."

Stepping out of the underground laboratory, the two entered a brightly lit underground corridor, escorted by a group of knights.

Looking at the uniquely shaped glass lamps on both sides of the corridor, Rachel said thoughtfully, "These lamps on the wall are very similar to those in the Soul Space."

"The exterior design was inspired by the wall lamp from my previous life, and the internal structure uses the principle of Tesla's parasitic circuit board. It was designed by Terence and Wayne."

Looking at the bright lights overhead, Todd remarked with a touch of emotion, "In my past life, there was a famous saying: Technological progress often stems from two major human characteristics."

Which two?

"The first is laziness."

Todd's words made Rachel laugh: "You're right, what about the other one?"

A group of knights at the front of the procession pushed open the gate at the end of the passage, knelt on one knee, and waited for the king to pass.

Todd stepped out the door, looked at the blue sky outside, and said softly, "The other one is... belligerence."

Rachel looked at Todd, and the melancholy expression on his face made her slowly put away her smile.

After passing through three heavily guarded checkpoints, Todd left a military-guarded research building and entered the campus of Muxi University.

A group of eighteen- or nineteen-year-old boys and girls, having just finished their morning classes, walked back to their dormitories laughing and carrying their books.

The sudden appearance of the royal guard on the road startled the young people.

In a flurry of activity, they quickly moved aside and knelt down by the roadside.

Among them was a curious young girl who secretly glanced up at the king, but then hurriedly buried her head back down.

Todd muttered to himself as he walked, "These kids remind me of the old days."

Rachel tilted her head and asked, "San Sidlow Monastery?"

“No…it’s been even longer.” Todd sighed softly. “That period of time felt like a dream; life now feels much more real.”

Rachel subtly took Todd's hand and said gently, "We once said that once everything here is over, we'll go to your world."

Todd softly repeated Rachel's words: "When all this is over..."

Rachel tightened her grip slightly and said firmly, "When you have fulfilled your duties as a king, it is time for you to leave."

Todd didn't say anything.

Rachel continued, "You can't protect this world forever, or do you simply not want to leave?"

Todra grabbed Rachel's hand and pulled her closer to him.

“I understand clearly that I cannot protect this world forever. What I can do now is to try my best to build a balanced, effective, and long-lasting operating mechanism for this world. As you can see, the heaven that shelters souls, the scales that judge good and evil, and even the power of the ancient gods are all part of my goal.”

Rachel rested her head gently on Todd's arm and whispered, "I see your efforts."

“I have watched this kingdom grow from every brick and every blade of grass, and I want to do my best to protect it, even if I don’t know if the future path is the right one…”

Rachel looked up at Todd and said firmly, "Whatever you do, believe in yourself."

Todd sighed. "Stop talking about me. I haven't seen you in a long time. What have you been up to lately?"

"Do you remember those notes you got from the Elders?" Rachel said.

“Adrian’s notes? Yes, I remember.”

"And the Book of the Gods presented by Queen Maeve of Connaught?"

"I have a vague recollection of it."

Rachel said, "I copied down all the information in these documents related to the War of the Chosen Ones, absolute will, and the changes in time and space."

"In addition, with the help of the Heterogeneous Society, I went to two places."

"Where?"

"One is the Valkyrie Village located on the North Island, and the other is the underground cave in the Shadow Kingdom."

Todd was taken aback: "I remember there's one in both of these places..."

"Beacon Tower".

Rachel continued, "However, the beacon tower in the Valkyrie Village is no longer responding, and the beacon tower in the Shadow Kingdom is located underwater and cannot be approached at all."

"Therefore, the research on the beacon tower did not go smoothly, and several alien species even lost their lives."

Todd asked in confusion, "How did those mutants die?"

“I remember you said that the land and water around the beacon tower are highly poisonous, and anyone who gets close will quickly lose their life force. So, some alien species that are resistant to the poison tried to approach the beacon tower, but they all died tragically in the end.”

Todd, exasperated, said, "Ratchet, listen to me. The poison I'm talking about isn't miasma; it's actually a radioactive element that can harm the human body... Forget it, you'd better not let anyone near there anymore."

Rachel said, somewhat aggrieved, "Todd, do you think I ordered those aliens to their deaths?"

Before Todd could speak, Rachel continued, "The members of the Alien Association, whose ancestors have been constantly hunted down, humiliated, oppressed, and embroiled in internal strife since the ancient Tyro Empire. For them, this world and this land have long lost their appeal."

"Finding a new world and starting a new life is their only goal to live and their only hope for the future."

Todd was somewhat confused: "I established this kingdom to protect everyone, including the aliens. Don't they want to stay?"

Rachel stared into Todd's eyes and said, word by word, "The only premise for this kingdom to provide shelter for everyone is you. But have you ever thought about who will continue to protect those helpless aliens if you leave the kingdom one day?"

Todd rubbed his temples hard, looking puzzled. Just as he was about to ask about the Alien Association's plans, a knight beside him reminded him, "Your Majesty, the carriage has arrived."

Todd looked around and realized that the group had unknowingly arrived at the gate of Muxi University.

Looking at the vast square, where thousands of people were kneeling on the ground, so many that not even a whisper could be heard, Todd sighed.

He told Rachel, "We need to have a serious talk sometime."

The latter nodded, and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, removed the hood of his cloak and disappeared into the street.