Alfonso looked at the cross on the altar in the room and said in a deep voice, "I am a clumsy and tongue-tied person, and I don't understand those so-called philosophical and scientific principles. But I know that without His Majesty's protection, there would be no Twilight City as it is today. Those who have forgotten the past favors and denied the King and the Pope are committing treason!"
Emerson said to Alfonso with a wry smile, "Things aren't as simple as you think. Anyway... never mind, let's not talk about that. Can you tell me why His Majesty sent this cross?"
Alfonso gently shook his head: "His Majesty only said that after handing this cross to you, you will naturally know what to do."
Emerson helplessly spread his hands: "The truth is, I don't know."
Seeing that Alfonso also looked puzzled, Emerson slowly walked up to the altar and reached out to touch the cross: "Could it be that there's some kind of mechanism on it?"
The moment Emerson touched the cross, his soul was suddenly drawn into it.
When Emerson opened his eyes, he found himself in a bright palace, with Todd sitting on the throne at the top, smiling at him.
Emerson looked at Todd, his eyes lit up, and he shouted excitedly, "Your Majesty!"
Todd smiled and said to Emerson, "It seems you've discovered the secret of the cross. I was wondering who would be the first to come in."
"I discovered this secret by accident..." Emerson looked at Todd and asked urgently, "Your Majesty, the Heavenly Kingdom Council hasn't been held for six months!"
Todd nodded somewhat helplessly and said, "Indeed, I've been recovering from an injury for the past six months."
"Is it because of the war in the north?"
"That's right, but in the end, I won."
Emerson breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good... So, Your Majesty, when do you plan to return to Twilight City?"
Todd noticed the expression on Emerson's face: "What's wrong? Has something happened in Muxi City?"
Emerson sighed and recounted to Todd everything that had happened in Twilight City in recent days, including land annexation and religious criticism.
After saying this, Emerson looked at Todd and said, "Your Majesty, Twilight City is no longer the Twilight City of the past. Everything here has changed."
Todd was silent for a moment.
To Emerson's surprise, Todd suddenly said, "This was all bound to happen."
Emerson couldn't believe his ears: "What did you say?!"
Todd stood up from his seat and walked over to Emerson: "Do you remember our conversation? If the people themselves were to govern this country instead of the monarch, everything that is happening now would be inevitable."
"Your Majesty, what do you mean by 'inevitable'? In your kingdom, loyal subjects have had their land seized by those cunning merchants, ultimately forced to live on the streets. Those audacious scholars have utterly devalued the Bible and wantonly slandered religion, destroying the people's faith. Do you really think that this Muxi City, where these things have happened, is better or more perfect than the Muxi City of the past?!"
Todd shook his head helplessly: "Emerson, when the wheels of history begin to turn, when the pace of the times no longer stops, you will find that everything around you is changing. Land and wealth will be concentrated in the hands of a few, and the human freedom restricted by religion will be gradually loosened. Humans will gradually place their own interests above other things, and in order to pursue higher personal values, people will keep creating, learning, and enlightening. These things will snowball and grow bigger and bigger."
“But what about fairness? What about justice?! What about everyone’s happiness?!” Emerson looked at Todd with a pained expression: “Is it progress to allow the wealthy to use the guise of enlightenment and freedom to deprive others of their wealth and happiness?”
A flicker of hesitation crossed Todd's eyes before he slowly said in a low voice, "Sometimes, progress and fairness are not twins. When times progress, exploitation and oppression inevitably arise, in any era and in any world... So, Emerson, I understand your feelings. But if you want to see progress, you must first find a way to adapt to injustice."
"I……"
Emerson's face flushed red, then turned deathly pale, and all color disappeared.
Todd closed his eyes and said softly, “Emerson, the cross I gave you contains a portion of my divine power. Anyone who touches it can enter this temple and see me. But I have one condition: those who touch this cross must be devout believers, and they must actively request to touch it. Of course, you also cannot actively tell others the secret of the cross.”
Emerson slowly lowered his head: "I will obey His Majesty's will."
Todd waved Emerson out of the soul space, turned back to the throne, gazed at the distant void, and muttered to himself, "One is reality, the other is utopia?"
Emerson, back in the pilgrimage area, slowly opened his eyes, his face pale.
Alfonso, standing behind him, noticed something amiss and asked, "Prime Minister, what's wrong?"
"No, there's nothing there."
Emerson seemed to age ten years in an instant, and he walked shakily down the altar, step by step toward the door.
As Emerson walked out, Hudgens, who had been waiting outside, poked his head in and asked Alfonso inside, "What happened?"
Alfonso shook his head, unaware of what was going on.
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