Chapter 108 Storm: Nightmare Ball [VIP]
"Your Highness the Grand Duchess, Your Highness the Grand Duke, Your Excellency the Grand Marquis of Gaura, Mr. Mage—"
A low, piercing voice suddenly echoed outside. At the same moment, the carriage stopped and the doors opened. A black-robed mage with a golden belt bowed his head and said politely, "The carriage has arrived at the Palace of Light."
Then, two magicians came forward and installed small steps on the carriage.
"Please get out of the car—"
"Um!"
Grand Duchess Anna snorted arrogantly, stood up and stepped out of the carriage, but the moment she looked up, she was frightened by the palace immersed in darkness and silence and stepped back repeatedly.
"Are you scared?"
Xiao Yun taunted.
"How could I be afraid!"
The Grand Duchess emphasized this in a high-handed manner, forcing herself to stand up straight.
Xiao Yun had no intention of wasting time talking to her.
He took out the golden gem that was transformed from the third eye of the three-eyed tribe.
Under the pale golden light, the silent white palace took on a strange texture similar to cooked jelly. Xiao Yun could even feel it shaking and trembling, as if—
(How bizarre! The palace has become like a living thing...)
[——According to the timer, it's morning now. The sun is rising high in the sky, but what greets us is pure darkness, as if both dawn and sunlight have been completely blocked out by the barrier covering the Palace of Light...]
Yaris held Xiao Yun's hand and told him his inner worries in the form of mental words.
[Brother, you're worried——]
I'm worried that this abnormal, evil darkness will spread across the land, centered around the Palace of Light. First, it will engulf the entire capital, then devour the empire. Ultimately, the entire world will fall into a demonic realm of darkness, blood, distortion, and terror...
[I don't hate darkness, but if the world only has night and no day, only darkness and no light——]
[Me too.]
Yaris looked at Xiao Yun intently, as if he was the only light he longed for.
The cold wind blew slowly, and the branches swayed suspiciously like ghosts, constantly sending a strange fragrance from an exotic country into Xiao Yun's nose.
(This smell...)
Xiao Yun looked at the "Dark Night Mentor".
The Dark Night Mentor sniffed. "That's His scent. His palace burns large quantities of spices with this scent."
"So we are indeed approaching Him—"
Xiao Yun rubbed his nose and asked Yaris with concern: "Do you need to rest before moving forward?"
"I don't think He's willing to wait any longer."
Yaris said worriedly.
As soon as he finished speaking, the magicians surrounding the four people raised their hands in unison, with pale will-o'-the-wisp burning in their hands.
"——Please follow us to the hall to attend the masquerade ball that His Majesty has carefully prepared for you!"
(Masquerade?)
A strong sense of discomfort suddenly surged in his heart, and Xiao Yun looked at Yaris: "Are you sure——"
"With you by my side, I won't be afraid of anything."
Yaris said firmly, and together with Xiao Yun, he followed the magicians into the thick and sticky darkness without hesitation.
Seeing the two men walking away with determination, the "Dark Night Mentor" couldn't help but hesitate. He looked around, wondering whether to follow them.
At this moment, a faint laugh suddenly sounded in the darkness, as if it was right next to my ear, yet as if it was far away.
(……)
The "Dark Night Mentor" shuddered and melted into the darkness.
…
…
It was a nightmare night.
Under the guidance of two teams of magicians with pale will-o'-the-wisp burning in their hands, Xiao Yun and Yaris walked forward together, through the quiet garden, into the familiar corridor, and passed by the maids, attendants, and guards.
This seemingly ordinary scene once again left Xiao Yun with a strange impression.
because--
(Those maids, attendants, and guards in their gorgeous uniforms never looked like real people... They could talk and walk, and when they met my brother and me, they would stop and bow to us. But to me, they felt like a group of clockwork puppets, their expressions stiff and their movements mechanical... When I passed by them, I felt no fluctuations of life or warmth of emotion...)
Thinking of this, Xiao Yun held Yaris's hand tightly.
[This is very unusual, be vigilant.]
[Hmm, I can feel something strange flowing around me...]
【That's good. 】
Xiao Yun breathed a sigh of relief.
Under the guidance of the magicians, they passed through the crystal corridor and turned into an even more gorgeous corridor with gold foil adorning both sides of the wall. At the end of the corridor was a tightly closed door. On each side of the marble platform was a blazing seven-branched candlestick. In front of the door stood a row of...
Sheep-headed man?!
Xiao Yun suspected that he was hallucinating and quickly took out the golden gem.
Under the pale golden light, he saw that the humanoid creatures in front of him indeed all had goat heads and human bodies dressed in the formal attire of high-ranking attendants.
They are saluting with a sheep's head, with a large piece of wool showing through the collar of their shirt when they lower their head, and the left hand on their chest is also a standard sheep's hoof!
The headgear is——)
"ah--"
With nowhere to go, he could only follow the magician and arrived at a scene that frightened him so much that he screamed!
"—Monster! Monster! It's a monster!"
"Quiet!"
Suddenly, a majestic and cold voice rang out from all around, and the surroundings became quiet in an instant as if the voice had been taken away.
The door slowly opened, and "Edmund" appeared in front of the two people, wearing a crown, a sash, and a gorgeous and heavy purple robe. Behind him was the brightly lit banquet hall and a large group of nobles dancing on the dance floor.
"Dear cousins, welcome to my masquerade!"
Edmund danced and said, "Come on! Join our carnival! You are the brightest stars of this never-ending night!"
"I'm sorry, I don't like it."
Xiao Yun flatly refused.
After a brief observation, Yaris asked Edmund: "How did you do it?"
"What's the meaning?"
"I admit that you are powerful, and the mages of the Magic Guild are weak. But even they, weak as they are, could not have been unaware of the tremendous changes that took place before their eyes in such a short period of time. What exactly did you do to the Palace of Light? Why did you cause such a huge change in the palace in such a short time? Were the servants with goat heads and human bodies who greeted us at the door transformed by your magic, or—"
"As expected of Her Highness, the princess who best understands the workings of magic in this world, you were able to discover so many problems in such a short time!"
Edmund extended his hand, inviting Xiao Yun and Yaris: "If you want to know the answer, follow me in. The closer you get to the core, the closer you are to the truth."
“…”
After looking at each other, the two of them quickly walked into the glittering ball, and were greeted by a bustling and bizarre scene.
Including the palace maids, almost all the ladies wearing gorgeous long dresses had an animal head on their necks. Looking around, you could see bird heads, cat heads, fox heads, dog heads, deer heads, etc.
The nobles in gorgeous clothes who danced with the ladies also had animal heads, but only a few of them had the heads of ferocious beasts such as lions, tigers, bears, and wolves. Most of them had ugly heads like Shar-Pei dogs, bull heads, fat pigs, etc. on their necks.
The situation of servants, knights, and band members is relatively optimistic, with goat heads, ox heads, and horse heads being the main features.
Seeing Edmund arrive, all the beast-headed figures stopped moving and stood in unison on both sides of the hall, as if they had rehearsed countless times, shouting in unison: "Long live! Long live!"
The deafening shouting coupled with the funny and weird animal heads on their necks made Xiao Yun wonder if he had walked into a circus or fallen into an extremely absurd cartoon.
"Edmund" was completely immersed in the cheers of his subjects, and opened his hands in enjoyment, motioning them to stand up and return to the dance floor to continue singing and dancing.
The venue was once again filled with singing and laughter.
Edmund sat on the throne and looked at Xiao Yun and Yaris with a smile. They had strange expressions on their faces. "What do you think?"
“…It’s disgusting.”
Xiao Yun spoke frankly.
Yaris asked back: "What on earth did you do to them?"
“I didn’t do anything to them.”
Edmund said coldly, "Just give them a stage to let them unleash their true selves."
"What's the meaning?"
"What I mean is—this is the mirror dimension of the Palace of Light that I constructed with magic. Their beast heads are the true reflections of their ugly souls reflected in the mirror."
“…”
"Edmund has disliked these guys since he was a child. Every one of them is extremely hypocritical and full of lies. They flatter him endlessly during audiences, but attack him viciously after leaving the palace. I dislike them too. These people have no ability, but they naturally occupy important positions because of their hereditary titles!"
"So you took them—"
"Yes. I recruited them into the mirror dimension at Edmund's request. I made the things around their necks manifest into animal forms that perfectly match their souls. As for the outside world—these guys would have only caused trouble to those around them. Now, they stay in my mirror dimension as my companions, performing a never-ending circus. Ulysses' work efficiency has actually increased significantly because of this."
"Ulysses..."
Xiao Yun didn't expect that "Edmund" would take the initiative to mention Ulysses.
"Um...Ulysses..."
Edmund commented, "Although he has always informed you brothers of your affairs and offered his loyalty to them, he is also quite capable. Therefore—until I find a new Prime Minister who is equally capable and absolutely loyal, I will not kill him. I am even considering handing all political affairs over to him and the Imperial Council he has formed, freeing up more time and energy to focus on studying you brothers."
"You planted 'demon spores' in him?"
"Why did I plant 'demon spores' on him?"
"Um?"
Xiao Yun was surprised.
"Once infected by the 'Demon Spores,' even the most intelligent person will gradually lose their ability to think, becoming a mechanically numb walking corpse. So, while this thing may look powerful, in reality, it can only mass-produce mindless humanoid machines."
Edmund was blunt: "It can't even be used on farmers, because farming is not mechanical labor and requires farmers to make corresponding adjustments based on the specific conditions of each year."
"I see."
Xiao Yun suddenly understood.
Edmund sighed suddenly. "Edmund yells at me almost every day, urging me to imprison the traitor Ulysses in the tower and torture him, or to infect him with 'demon spores' and turn him into a servile slave. But as long as Ulysses is willing to handle daily government affairs for me as Prime Minister and maintain the functioning of the state, I will ignore his betrayal and continue to let him serve as Prime Minister."
(Although his methods were ruthless and inhumane, in terms of knowing how to use people wisely, the Dragon Emperor did have the bearing and courage of an emperor.)
Xiao Yun sighed secretly.
Seeing that the two had changed their views on him, "Edmund" took the opportunity to express his views.
"...You see me as a monster incapable of human emotions and threaten to expel me. But I think your thinking is too narrow-minded. Life exists in countless forms and countless evolutionary paths. Not even a god can definitively say which form is correct and which path is wrong. Your species simply happened to become the dominant species on Planet Ella due to a combination of internal and external factors."
"There are countless civilizations in the universe, home to countless races. Ella is just one of many planets that have nurtured civilizations. Other planets also have ancient, long-standing, and great civilizations. The species that gave rise to these civilizations some look very similar to you, while others are completely different. Through long periods of evolution, all kinds of strange life have developed civilizations adapted to their own planets. This is something you, arrogant and barbaric people, cannot imagine."
"Why do you reject my arrival? Why don't you accept my goodwill? Why do you claim that aggression and war are inevitable when civilizations with different evolutionary paths meet? Why are you unwilling to believe that the 'fusion' of two civilizations will usher in a whole new stage of civilization?"
“Stop!”
Xiao Yun interrupted the Dragon Emperor: "I won't believe your sophistry!"
"quibble?"
"Yes!"
Xiao Yun said fiercely, "I admit that I am narrow-minded, ignorant, and barbaric. I don't know which planet you are from, or what kind of great civilization you and your kind have created. But I do know that survival is the first priority of life! The key to survival is resources! I will not gamble on humanity on a cosmic scale, because I cannot put the fate of Planet Ella on the table!"
"That sounds plausible."
Edmund smiled coldly and looked at Yaris: "What about you? After listening to my long speech, what do you think?"
"My brother's thoughts are my attitude."
"oh?"
"Even if I can never leave this space and become a monster like the idiots around me?"
"If you could, you would have done it to us, wouldn't you?"
Yaris said with a smile.
“…”
Edmund gave a mocking smile.
"I have no intention of turning you brothers into similarly ugly monsters. It's not that I can't do it, but your very existence is the ultimate work of art. Even I can't bear to destroy such a delicate and beautiful work of art. By the way, although different planets have given birth to different civilizations, each with its own aesthetic standards, but - no matter which civilization, you are so beautiful that it makes all life cry."
(What does he mean by that? Why does it feel like…)
Xiao Yun felt a strong sense of uneasiness again.
"Come, come in front of me and let the distinguished guests appreciate the special gifts I prepared for them—"
Edmund smiled triumphantly, raised his hand, and beckoned a noblewoman in black with an ibis head to his side. He enthusiastically introduced her, "Dear Yaris, I made the Grand Duchess who doesn't love you grow an ibis head~"
As soon as she finished speaking, the Grand Duchess with an ibis-like head bowed respectfully to "Edmund" on the throne.
"you--"
Yaris showed an angry look.
"Why do you have that expression? Are you deep down in your heart in love with this woman who has never loved you? Even though she has repeatedly ignored you, oppressed you, ridiculed you, and mocked you since the day you were born, and has gloated over every misfortune that has happened to you! You still love her?!"
"You're wrong. I no longer have any feelings for her. I'm angry because—"
Yaris took a breath.
"She's not a good woman, a good wife, a good mother, or even a good person... She's committed countless mistakes and crimes throughout her life and deserves severe punishment, but—you alone—don't have the qualifications!"
"It sounds reasonable, but it's not important. It's not important at all."
Edmund said impatiently, looking at Xiao Yun: "Do you want to kill this woman to avenge your mother, grandfather, and cousin?"
“…”
Xiao Yun was silent.
For Lucien, he should kill this woman to avenge his family, but——
(He actively invited me to kill the Grand Duchess. Was he simply trying to show me good will, or would this action bring Him unexpected benefits?)
Consider for a moment——
"—Killing her would indeed give me the joy of revenge, but I choose to let her live, to live on as a monster with a bird's head and a human body. For her, who is so proud and self-satisfied, and who constantly insults my brother and me, this would be more painful than death."
"oh?"
Edmund looked at Yaris with a creepy smile: "What do you think of this ruling?"
"If you do something wrong, you should be punished."
"What else?"
“When a person’s abilities are completely mismatched with her wealth, even if fate favors her, the world will still find ten thousand ways to make her pay the price.”
"You said a lot of great things, but all I can think of is one sentence - the child got a better and more interesting new toy, so he threw away the broken and boring old one."
"Edmund" told Xiao Yun in an emotionless voice: "If Yaris could ruthlessly abandon Grand Duchess Anna today, he would treat you with similar indifference if he finds someone more attractive than you in the future!"
"You're trying to sow discord between us."
Xiao Yun spoke word by word.
Edmund smiled and retorted, "No, I'm reminding you."
"Yeah?"
Xiao Yun looked at "Edmund" coldly. "You constantly reason with us, repeatedly trying to win us over and alienate us, appearing quite intelligent. But in my opinion, all your actions at this moment can only mean one thing—your civilization is only slightly superior to ours. Your civilization does not have the power to destroy ours!"
“——!”
Edmund narrowed his eyes and asked, "Why do you have such a strange perception?"
"Because I know what happens when one civilization possesses the power to easily kill another...Higher civilizations are often cruel and arrogant when facing lower civilizations. They take everything from the weak as a matter of course and do anything on the weak's land without seeking their consent or considering their actions or values. The weak must rely on the mercy and compassion of the stronger to survive. Their attitude can be summed up in one sentence—"
Having said this, Xiao Yun paused for a moment, then slowly uttered the second half of the sentence: "What does destroying you have to do with you?"
“…”
After a brief silence, "Edmund" took the initiative to change the subject: "The atmosphere at the ball is a bit stuffy. How about I take you to visit Edmund's secret room?"
Without waiting for the two to respond, He walked straight to the exit of the hall.
With His departure, the noisy and lively hall seemed to be paused. No matter the music played by the band or the friction of fluttering skirts, all sounds came to an abrupt end. All the monsters with animal heads stopped moving, standing stiffly and strangely in the same place, without saying a word or moving an inch.
…
…
Following "Edmund's" footsteps, the two came to a bedroom hidden in the deepest part of the palace.
The bedroom was decorated in the elegant style currently popular in the royal capital. In the center stood a large, opaque bed with golden and purple curtains hanging on all four sides, symbolizing the royal family.
The maids and servants, who also had animal heads, stood respectfully around the bed and bowed to the three people who entered the room.
"His Majesty--"
"Is that thing still making noise?"
"Yes."
"Poor thing..."
Edmund's voice was devoid of any emotion.
He walked to the big bed, lifted the heavy curtain, pulled out Edmund who was curled up in the dark, and threw him in front of Xiao Yun and Yaris!
“—No—don’t!”
Edmund screamed in pain, his voice hoarse and old, like a centenarian.
The moment he landed, he covered his face with his hands, knelt on the ground, and begged in pain: "Don't, don't look at me... Please, don't look at me..."
"Don't you want it?"
Edmund spoke in a slow, mocking tone, "To combat your inner inferiority and incompetence, you took the initiative to bring me into your body, treating the power I temporarily lent you as your own, acting recklessly and unscrupulously. I simply brought the original you out to meet others, yet you're so frightened?"
“I…I…”
"look up!"
Following these words, Edmund slowly raised his head.
He was so thin that he looked like a breathing mummy. There was not a single piece of flesh on his body, even his eyelids had no fat. Xiao Yun could clearly see his eyeballs rolling.
If it weren't for the fact that his face was wrinkle-free and his eyes were still bright and youthful, Xiao Yun wouldn't even dare to believe that the skeleton in front of him was Edmund himself.
"How could you..."
"Yeah, how did I become what I am now..."
Edmund looked up and looked at Xiao Yun with resentment in his blue eyes.
"... Ever since I can remember, I've been compared to Yaris, and naturally, I've been outdone! Everyone compliments me to my face and laughs at me behind my back!... Originally, I was still deriving a last shred of superiority from you, who was inferior to me in every way! But now, even you, after your miraculous resurrection, have become so brilliant!"
"I know He is dangerous, but the first time He entered my body, I felt an unprecedented majesty and power... I became addicted to this feeling. I needed it, even if it cost me the entire empire! And now..."
"Why! Why! Why aren't you the one who suffered such misfortune? Why can you get everything I want so easily? Including Yaris, everyone likes you, believes in you, and follows you! Even He says I'm a waste! He looks down on me! He only approached me and used my body to get you and Yaris!"
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